What Are Patterns?

🕐 4 min 11 sec 👦 Ages 4–5 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore patterns through Koko's necklace-making! Kids will discover the fun of recognizing patterns.
Identify patterns in everyday objects Understand the concept of repetition Create their own patterns with materials
📖 Story Script
                    Owlo:
                    Good morning, Koko! You look very focused today. What are you working on?
                
                    Koko:
                    I'm making a necklace, Owlo! I'm putting beads on a string. Red, blue, red, blue, red, blue!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh, that is beautiful, Koko. Do you notice something special about the way you placed those beads?
                
                    Koko:
                    They keep going the same way over and over! Red, then blue, then red, then blue again!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly! When something repeats over and over in the same order, we call that a pattern.
                
                    Koko:
                    A pattern? So my necklace has a pattern?
                
                    Owlo:
                    It does! Your necklace has a red-blue pattern. You made that all by yourself, and you did not even know it had a special name.
                
                    Koko:
                    That is so cool! So a pattern is like something that keeps doing the same thing again and again?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a perfect way to say it, Koko. A pattern is something that repeats in the same order.
                
                    Koko:
                    Are there other patterns? Or is it just beads on necklaces?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Patterns are everywhere around us. Let me show you something. Come with me to the garden!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Look at this flower, Koko. What do you see on its petals?
                
                    Koko:
                    They go yellow, orange, yellow, orange, all the way around! Oh wow, that is a pattern too!
                
                    Owlo:
                    It is! And look down at the garden path. What do you notice about the stones?
                
                    Koko:
                    Big stone, small stone, big stone, small stone. They keep going like that! Everything has patterns!
                
                    Owlo:
                    You are finding them so fast, Koko. Patterns really are everywhere once you start looking.
                
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, do patterns have to be about colors and shapes? Or can they be other things too?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Great thinking! Patterns can be about sounds too. Clap with me. Clap, clap, pause. Clap, clap, pause.
                
                    Koko:
                    Clap, clap, pause! Clap, clap, pause! I hear it! That is a sound pattern! Music is patterns!
                
                    Owlo:
                    You are absolutely right. Songs and music are made of patterns of sounds that repeat. That is what makes them feel so good to listen to.
                
                    Koko:
                    What about numbers? My mom counts with me. One, two, three, one, two, three. Is that a pattern?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes! Counting in groups like that is a number pattern. Patterns help us in math too, not just in art and music.
                
                    Koko:
                    Patterns are in SO many places. I never noticed before. Now I cannot stop seeing them!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is the magic of learning something new. Once you know what to look for, you start seeing it everywhere.
                
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, can I make up my own brand new pattern? Like one nobody has ever done before?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Of course you can! That is one of the most fun things about patterns. You can create your own.
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay, I am going to do: star, circle, circle, star, circle, circle! That is MY pattern!
                
                    Owlo:
                    I love it. That is a star-circle-circle pattern, and it is completely yours. You just became a pattern maker.
                
                    Koko:
                    Pattern maker! I like that. Owlo, can we look for more patterns on the way back inside?
                
                    Owlo:
                    We absolutely can. But first, I would love to hear what you remember about patterns today. Can you tell me?
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay! A pattern is something that repeats in the same order, over and over. They can be colors, like my necklace. They can be shapes, like the garden stones. They can be sounds, like music. And they can even be numbers! Oh, and the best part? You can make your very own pattern. I am going to make patterns on everything now. My snack, my drawings, maybe even my fur if I can reach.
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a wonderful summary, Koko. You understood everything perfectly today. Next time, we could explore how patterns help us predict what comes next. That is where patterns get really exciting.
                
                    Koko:
                    Predict? Like guessing what comes next? I want to learn that! Let's go find more patterns first though.