Cardano is like a big computer that lots of people can use to do stuff like buy or sell things, play games or even talk to each other without having to meet in person. Imagine it like a big park where lots of people can come to have fun and do different things.
And just like in a park, there are rules that everyone has to follow so people don't get hurt or upset. In Cardano's case, those rules are called protocols which make sure that everything happening on the platform is safe, secure and fair.
People using Cardano can also own digital money, called ADA, which they can use to do things like pay for things or services. And just like in a game or a book, there's a record of everything that happens on Cardano, so people can keep track of all the things everyone is doing.
But unlike in a park, Cardano doesn't belong to anyone, it's not owned by a company or a government. It's what is called a decentralized platform, which means everyone who uses it can help make decisions about how it works and which directions it takes.
So, Cardano is like a big computer park where people can play and do different things, follow rules to make sure everyone stays safe and own their own digital money to buy things. And because it's decentralized, everyone using it can help make decisions about how it operates.