Young children are natural explorers and builders; they are innately curious about the world, motivated to learn about it, and anxious to find ways to make it better Early childhood educators are charged with helping direct that energy toward activities that cultivate curiosity, patience, perseverance, and a love of learning. The overall goal of the California Next Generation Science Standards (CA NGSS) in early childhood education is not to produce “little scientists” that act and talk like professionals, but instead put students on a track to become “big scientists.” This process is gradual and the CA NGSS lay out a progression of practices and understandings that unfold in a developmentally appropriate manner.