ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Peripheral

A peripheral is like a friend or helper for your computer. Just like how you have toys and games to help you play and have fun, your computer also has things that can help it do more things.

For example, if you want to talk to your friends over the computer, you can use a microphone that you plug into the computer. That microphone is a peripheral because it helps your computer do something it couldn't do on its own - it helps you talk to your friends over the computer.

There are lots of different kinds of peripherals. Some help you see things better (like a bigger screen), some help you hear things better (like headphones), and some help you do things better (like a mouse or keyboard).

The cool thing about peripherals is that you can add them to your computer whenever you want, and you can take them away when you're done using them. That way, your computer can always have exactly what it needs to help you do anything you want!