The stage of thinking (or "cognitive development") in which a child is capable of exploring the world only through their senses is known as the ____ stage.

A) sensorimotor
B) preoperational
C) concrete operational
D) formal operational
E) preconventional

The sensorimotor stage, according to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, is the stage during which babies and young children discover the world through their senses and physical actions. They learn to coordinate their sensory experiences with their motor abilities, and gradually develop object permanence, the realization that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched. This stage typically lasts from birth to about age two.