Understand how everything works: Curiosity is a powerful human trait and young children are born with a drive to discover — bursting with "whys" and "hows." Babies touch, taste, poke, suck, pick up, and drop things (and bite). Toddlers do all of that and throw things, climb up and down, go over, under, and around, which are really experiments in gravity, spatial relationships, and physics. They love to turn things on and off and combine some most unusual objects: "What's that cookie doing in the VCR?" Older children construct and even tear apart places and things that that they have created; communities built with toys, blocks, dolls, and props. They also learn how to make more and more tools and machines work.

Deeply connect with people. Our sense of safety and security, our enthusiasm and desire to please, and our development as family members, friends, lovers, and citizens flows from the innate drive to form deep relationships. Babies begin bonding with sounds and gestures that appeal to our own attraction to their smiles and murmurs, and our concern for their cries. As children grow, they develop empathy, and the ability to both give and receive love, support, and affection. They learn the social skills to become contributing members of a community.

Doing their job has ups and downs

Much of what gets children into "trouble" actually occurs when they are "doing their jobs" in ways that sometimes drive us crazy or could result in harm to other people, things, or themselves. Development is not trouble or pain free — there will be mishaps, bumps, bruises, and heartache. Exploration of a new world and testing new powers is not always easy.

The push or bite of a baby is actually the beginning of social science; as is the "you are not my friend" of a four year old or an eight year old's "girls keep out."

Climbing on the table, throwing the ball through the window, jumping on the bed, or riding the bike as fast as possible is part of the "Look what I can do."

Dropping the spoon, opening the forbidden door, or stuffing the VCR with a toy is an example of "What will happen?" or "How does the world work?"

Our job: Supporting each child in his or her job

What are our jobs as adults who design and provide places for children? We need to offer each child the opportunity and place to do and learn what he or she needs to do in order to thrive. If children are to eventually step out and take advantage of what the world has to offer, they need:

• opportunities for practice and mastery of tasks that fit their emerging skills and understanding; a sensory- and movement-rich, aesthetically pleasing environment filled with conversation and written language

• ample opportunities to use and test their motor skills, both large and small

• a place for exploration and discovery of the natural world, toys and games, interactive time with safe machines, household objects, and also experimentation with various media

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