A program is like a magical recipe that tells a computer what to do. Just like when you bake cookies, you follow steps in a cookbook, a program gives a computer step-by-step instructions to create something fun, like a video game or a cartoon. Each step is important, and if you miss one, the computer might get confused, just like cookies might not taste right if you forget the sugar.
Think of a program as a puppet show. The puppeteer writes a script, and the puppets follow the script to tell a story. The computer is like the puppets, and the program is the script. If the script says “wave your hand,” the puppet waves its hand. Without the script, the puppets wouldn’t know what to do.
Imagine a program as a treasure map. The computer is like an explorer, and the program is the map. The map has directions like “go ten steps forward” or “turn left at the big tree.” The computer follows these directions to find the treasure, which could be solving a puzzle or drawing a picture on the screen.