A method for capturing a surrounding region of a motor vehicle, in which, while the motor vehicle is moved relative to an object in the surrounding region, sensor data are received in each case at predetermined times from a distance sensor by a control device and the object is classified as a static or as a moving object by the control device on the basis of the received sensor data, wherein a distance value is determined by the control device for each of the predetermined times on the basis of the sensor data, said distance value describing a distance between the distance sensor and at least one predetermined point of reflection of the object, and a curve of the distance values as a function of time (t) is compared to a predetermined reference curve for the purposes of classifying the object.