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Parts of a computer

Meet the monitor, keyboard, mouse and CPU, and learn what each part of a computer does with simple examples.

Let us begin

The big idea

A computer is a machine that helps us write, draw, play and learn. It is made of different parts, and each part has its own job. Let us meet them one by one.

The monitor is the screen. It shows us pictures, words and videos. We look at it.

The keyboard and the mouse are how we talk to the computer. We press keys to type. We move and click the mouse to choose things. Because they send our message in, they are called input devices.

The CPU is the brain of the computer. It thinks very fast and decides what to do with our message. It sits inside a box, or inside the same body as the screen.

The monitor, the speakers and the printer show us the answer. They are called output devices. A computer is not alive. It only follows the instructions we give it.

A computer and its partsA picture of a monitor on a stand, a CPU box beside it, a keyboard below the monitor and a mouse below the CPU box, each with a name label. Monitor CPU box (the brain) Keyboard Mouse
The main parts of a desktop computer.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. Typing your name

    You press the keys on the keyboard (input). The CPU works out which letters you pressed. Your name then appears on the monitor (output).

  2. Playing a song

    You click the play button with the mouse (input). The CPU finds the song. The speakers play the sound (output).

  3. Printing a drawing

    You choose print with the mouse (input). The CPU sends the picture on its way. The printer puts the drawing on paper (output).

Try it at home

Make a paper computer

You will need

  • 2 sheets of paper
  • pencil
  • crayons
  • an old cardboard box or thick card (optional)

What to do

  1. Draw a big square on one sheet. This is your monitor. Draw a picture inside it.
  2. Draw a long rectangle on the second sheet. Draw small squares inside it for keys. This is your keyboard.
  3. Draw a small oval for the mouse. Draw a box for the CPU and write the word CPU on it.
  4. Put the parts in a row on the floor or table, like a real computer.
  5. Point to each part and say aloud what it does.

Ask a grown-up: An adult can help write the names of the parts and can cut the cardboard if you use it.

Fun fact

Some of the very first computers were so big that they filled a whole room.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Parts of a computer (Classes 1-2, Computers and coding)

  1. Which part of the computer shows us pictures and words?
  2. Which part do we use to type letters and numbers?
  3. Which part do we move and click to choose things?
  4. Which part is called the brain of the computer?
  5. Which part lets us hear music from the computer?
  6. Which part puts our drawing on paper?
  7. Name two input devices.
  8. Is the monitor an input device or an output device?
  9. Is a computer alive? Why or why not?

Answer key

Answers: Parts of a computer

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. The monitor (the screen).
  2. The keyboard.
  3. The mouse.
  4. The CPU.
  5. The speakers (or headphones).
  6. The printer.
  7. Any two of: keyboard, mouse.
  8. An output device, because it shows us the answer.
  9. No. A computer is a machine. It only follows the instructions that people give it.

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