Learn Science » Living and Non-Living Things for Kids

Living and non-living things

Living things are things that are alive. People, animals and plants are living things.

Living things need a few things to stay alive. These essential things are air, water, and food. Both animals and plants need water. Look at the following living things that make use of water and food, to say alive.

Characteristics of living things

1. Living things move

Birds fly. Fish swim. Kangaroos jump and horses run. Even plants, remarkably, show this movement. If you touch the leaves of the mimosa plant, the leaves immediately close.

Go to mimosa plant to watch a video of how the mimosa plant behaves to touch.

2. Living things grow

A human child grows into an adult. In the same way, a young plant will grow into an adult plant, and a young animal grows into an adult animal.

The following image shows how a seed grows into an adult tree, which again produces seeds and the seeds in turn grow into an adult tree.

Image courtesy: gardeningknowhow.com

3. Living things reproduce and have young

Many plants have seeds, and these seeds grow into new plants. Cows have calves.

People have babies. The adult chicken lays eggs. A chick hatches from an egg.

The following table gives the young and adult of some animals.

Non-living things

Non-living things are things that are not alive. They do not need air, food or water. They do not move. They do not grow and do not reproduce.

The following image contrasts living and non-living things.

Image courtesy: living-non-living-things.wikia.com