What Is the Fibonacci Sequence?

The Fibonacci Sequence is a special list of numbers that grow in a fun and simple way.

Imagine you have a pair of rabbits. They take one month to grow up, and then every month after that, they have a new pair of rabbits. These new baby rabbits also take one month to grow up before they can start having babies too. If we count how many pairs of rabbits there are each month, the numbers follow the Fibonacci Sequence.

Let’s say you start with 1 pair of rabbits. In the next month, still just 1 pair, because they’re still growing. Then, in the third month, they have a baby pair, now we have 2 pairs. Next month, the original pair has another baby pair, but the first baby pair is still growing, so that’s 3 pairs total. The pattern keeps going like this: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... Each number is the sum of the two numbers before it.

You might find the Fibonacci Sequence in nature too! Like how leaves grow on a stem or how petals are arranged on some flowers, they often follow this pattern. It’s like nature has its own quiet way of counting!