Have whole lotta stickers that could use some love? We do. In my son’s preschool newsletter, I also learned that the class is learning about living and nonliving in school. So here we are! – Combining what we are asked to review at home with leftover stickers. You may be asked to do the same—no need to add this to your plate. I’ve got you covered with this living and nonliving sticker activity. Let’s dive in.
Related: Have a preschooler? I have 101 hands-on preschool activities with low prep times.
Living and nonliving sticker activity gets kids thinking
Understanding living and nonliving most likely feels obvious to us in our adult life. But chances are that young children have not yet taken the time to think about what makes something living or nonliving.
We know a living thing needs air, water, and food to survive. Living things can also reproduce. (I’ll leave that part of the discussion in your hands) According to this living vs. non-living article from PBS, the term living is used to describe anything that has ever been alive.
There is a good chance that even though they have seen the trees in the backyard, it has not occurred to them to classify the tree as living. The same goes for a rock. A young child most likely knows the rock is not alive, but using the vocabulary to classify the rock as non-living takes learning (and schema) to the next level.
Related: Have an older child? Here are 30+ kindergarten activities.
Activities on Demand
Want great ideas without the ads? Download these 20 hands-on learning games for kids.
How stickers improve vocabulary
Another reason I enjoy using stickers for preschool activities is it encourages new vocabulary and speech development. When was the last time you got a sticker pack that didn’t make you smirk or comment? The designers know how to contact us talking!
As my child peels off the stickers, we chat about what we see. He asks questions about the image or comments on a specific detail he notices as he works. For this activity, we talked a good bit about why the spider web sticker is nonliving.
Other sticker activities that welcome conversations and new vocabulary:
How stickers strengthen small hand muscles
As young children peel off stickers, they strengthen their hands to prepare for pencil grip and writing.
This is a sneaky (and child-loved) way to improve fine motor development in the toddler years. Toddler activities need to be structured around your child’s interests, or there will not be much investment from your three-year-old.
So before we hand over the pencil and ask a young child to write their name, dig the half-used sticker sheets from the drawer.
Related: Stickers are also fun for road trips with kids, and you can find our favorite sticker pads in the under $25 toy list.
Sorting is math
Sorting and classifying is one of the first math concepts children learn as they discover the world around them.
Children are sorting as they:
- Begin to sort shapes
- Help with unloading the dishwasher and sorting spoons
- Match socks – yes, I have a toddler sock-matching activity
- Put clothes away
- Washing and sorting apples to put them away
Sorting is one of the many ways to introduce math activities to toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids.
How to set up
When I mention prep times are under three minutes, I mean it. The longest part of the setup is walking to get the stickers.
- Find half-used sticker sheets. (because you know, who has an entirely new sheet?)
- Tape white paper to the tabletop.
- Divide the paper in half and label living and nonliving.
- Cut a collection of stickers to place to the left of the math sorting activity.
Now here’s the catch. Take the time to cut out each sticker before inviting your preschooler to sort. Children need organized activities just like we do. If we toss a bunch of sticker sheets in front of them, chances are they will become overwhelmed.
Supplies
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I often get asked about the supplies we use for toddler and preschool activities. Here is a simple list of supplies for kid activities.
White Paper Roll
This is an excellent paper roll to get started with preschool activities or Breakfast Invitations.
Sticker for Seasons and Celebrations
A fun sticker pack for many reasons and seasons!
That’s everything you need to make this living, and non-living sticker activity come to life as you begin your day with play – and hot coffee!
FAQ
Here are the best 12 sticker activities for preschoolers. Sticker activities help improve fine motor strength, color sorting, counting, adding, vocabulary, matching pairs, making shapes, and sorting by size.
12 ways kids can play with stickers: 1. Connect the dots 2. Make shapes 3. Count eyes on shape people 4. Talk about stickers they like and dislike 5. Sticker maze 6. Match alike stickers 7. Count dot stickers in drawings 8. Make sticker pairs 9. Decorate pictures 10. Sort by size 11. Make magnetic tile sticker puzzles 12. Decorate holiday lights with dot stickers
My favorite sticker pads are in this under $25 toy list.
