Circle the Living Things Worksheet

One of the very first ideas young scientists meet is the difference between something that is alive and something that is not, and this Circle the Living Things Worksheet gives Kindergarten students a clear, friendly way to practice it. Living things grow, need food and water, and change over time, while non-living things stay exactly as they are. Sorting familiar objects into those two groups helps children build the vocabulary and the reasoning they will use all year in science.

This Kindergarten living and non-living things worksheet is built around pictures, so a child who is still learning to read can work through it independently. In Part A, students look at eight bright pictures and circle every one that grows. In Part B, they study three more pictures and fill in the bubble for Living or Not Living, which introduces the test-style bubble format in a gentle, low-pressure way. Print one copy per student and use it as a whole-class lesson, a small-group activity, a science center task, or quick homework. A complete answer key is included, so checking the work takes only a moment.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Answer key
• 8 circle-the-picture items and 3 fill-in-the-bubble classification items

There are three big reasons this Circle the Living Things Worksheet helps children learn the skill. First, it uses objects a five-year-old already knows — a dog, a tree, a butterfly, a fish, a chair, a cup, a book, a ball — so all of the thinking goes into the science idea instead of into decoding hard words. Second, it asks the same question in two different ways, first as a circling task and then as a choice between two labeled options, which turns recognition into real classifying. Third, the pictures give the class something concrete to talk about, so children can explain why a tree belongs with the living things and a ball does not.

Teachers and parents can stretch this lesson far beyond the page. Take the class on a short living and non-living scavenger hunt around the classroom or the playground and keep a tally of what each team finds. Sort a basket of real objects and pictures into two labeled hoops on the floor. Ask children to draw one living thing and one non-living thing from their own bedroom and label each one. Grow a bean seed in a clear cup so students can watch a living thing change while a pebble beside it stays the same. Finish by singing about animals, then challenge the class to name three things every living thing needs.

Related Resources

• Living and Non-Living Things Sort Worksheet
• Characteristics of Living and Non-Living Things Worksheet
• Living and Non-Living Things Scavenger Hunt Worksheet
• Animal Song (Animated Music Video) — Have Fun Teaching