Odd One Out

Living, moving

Activity overview

15 mins
Ages 5 – 7

Science topics:

Animals, including humans , Living things and their habitats

If something moves does that mean it is living? Your children will use reasoning skills to answer this question. 

Run the activity

1. Show the three images above and ask everyone to come up with as many similarities and differences as they can. If they get stuck, prompt them to think about:

  • appearance
  • what they do
  • where they might be found

2. Then, everyone needs to decide which one is the odd one out and why. Encourage a reason for every answer and there is no wrong answer!

Background science

It is often confusing to explain how we know if something is living and if it is non-living. Movement could indicate that something is living, but not necessarily. All three of the objects in these images move in some way but not all are living. The images are a bluebottle fly, a tree and an aeroplane flying through cloud. Bluebottle flies are also called ‘blow flies’ and are often seen hovering around dustbins. Just like butterflies, flies can taste with their feet! There are over 100,000 different species of flies. 

Take it further

Go outside and see how many different living things you can find. Record what you see using pictures and words, including where you have seen it. What things can the children find that were once alive but no longer alive? That were never alive? Also, can you find something that moves that is not living? 

Image credit:

Shutter Rich via Shutterstock;

Jan Martin Will via Shutterstock;

IM_Photo via Shutterstock