plants need energy to grow and to make their own food. plants get their energy from the sun. without the heat and light energy of the sun, a plant would not grow and would not be able to make its own food so it would die. we need energy for every activity we do during the day! we need energy to walk, run, jump, think, and raise our hand in class! animals need energy to grow and to move around. how do living things get the energy they need? as we said, plants get their energy from the sun. animals, including humans, get their energy by eating! they get energy 