Which Doesn’t Belong? Vertebrates or Invertebrates Game

Help young learners build a strong foundation in animal classification with this engaging, self-checking interactive Vertebrates or Invertebrates Game! Designed for early learners, this Google Slides/PowerPoint activity provides students with fun, engaging practice in identifying vertebrates and invertebrates through visuals.

This Vertebrates or Invertebrates game directly supports early science standards by reinforcing that:

• Vertebrates are animals with backbones or spinal columns (mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians).
• Invertebrates are animals without backbones or internal skeletons (insects, spiders, worms, snails, lobsters, jellyfish, and more).

Which Animal Doesn’t Belong? Classification Activity

Each interactive slide displays four animal images. Three animals belong to the same group-either vertebrates or invertebrates, while one animal does not.

To play, students will need to carefully observe the animals, think about whether they have a backbone or spinal column, and decide which image doesn’t fit the group. 

This game has built-in self-checking features that provide students with instant feedback, making it a low-stress, confidence-boosting learning activity.

Download, Project, and Play!

Use this resource on your interactive whiteboard, project it for whole-class play, or assign it digitally for independent or partner work.

This resource is available in both PowerPoint and editable Google Slides format.  To get your copy, click the dropdown arrow on the download button and choose your preferred file type.

This resource was created by Lindsey Phillips, a teacher in Michigan and Teach Starter Collaborator.

More Animal Classification Activities for Early Learners

Looking for more Animal Classification activities? We recommend pairing this game with another of our animal sorting cards, feature observation activities, or hands-on science resources to further understanding of animal groups and observable features.

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