Living and Non-living Things
© ThinkKind.org, 22 June 2013
The two main kinds of living things are plants and animals. Living things can do lots of
things that non-living things cannot do. A plant or animal can grow. A chair or table cannot
grow.
1. Colour blue the boxes that contain the names of living things.
Colour red the boxes that contain the names of non-living things.
kangaroo
computer
pig
boy
fish
teddy bear
cat
grass
girl
flower
sand
bird
ant
plate
pencil
dolphin
One of the biggest differences between plants and animals is that animals have feelings.
Animals can feel happiness, sadness, pain, fear, loneliness and joy. Plants cannot feel
these things.
Animals have special needs because they have feelings.
2. Draw a line to show what kinds of living things need.
In order to grow, a plant needs
companions
In order to not be lonely, a pig needs
shelter
In order to keep warm, a boy needs
exercise
In order to move properly, a fish needs
space
In order to be healthy, a dog needs
water
Animals – Characteristics
Animals are living things.
Some animals are wild animals that live in forests, oceans or jungles. Some animals we
keep because we enjoy having them as pets. Other animals we use because we eat them.
1. Circle the animals that are wild.
Colour the animals we keep as pets.
Draw a square around the animals we eat.
2. Do any of the animals above fit into more than one category? Write the names of the
animals that do.
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3. Why do you think we choose some animals as pets and other animals as food? Discuss
this with a partner and write down your answer.
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4. In some countries people do not eat pigs. In other countries people eat dogs. Why do
you think people eat different animals in different parts of the world? Discuss this with a
partner and write down your answer.
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Growing and Changing
1. Plants and animals grow. Can these things grow? Write Yes or No underneath.
2. Number the pictures to show the order in which a chicken grows.
Chicken can live to be around 10 years old. It takes 3 months for a newborn chick to grow
all of its feathers. It takes around 6 months for a newborn chick to become an adult
chicken.
Chickens raised for meat usually only live for 5 weeks. They are given unnatural hormones
to force them to grow faster. Their bodies grow bigger but their bones don’t grow as
quickly. Their bodies become too heavy for their bones to carry and this causes a lot of
pain.
3. Write a letter to Old MacDonald asking him to stop giving his chickens hormones so that
they can grow naturally.
Dear Old MacDonald,
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Animals – Characteristics 2
1. We have some features that are different from other animals. Circle the features that
we do NOT have.
feathers
tail
hair
fingernails
heart
fur
skin
gills
belly button
scales
teeth
claws
two legs
eyes
2. We have some features that are the same as other animals. Draw a square around the
features that ALL of these animals have.
eyes
feet
brain
feathers
skin
heart
ears
four legs
hooves
paws
3. All animals have feelings. We can all feel happy, sad and afraid. How do you think these
animals are feeling? Write your answer underneath.
All animals have feelings - so remember to be kind to them.