In this video, a 21-month-old child finds satisfaction in fitting wooden clothespins over the edge of a square plastic container. Making separate objects fit together and stay together has universal appeal to children. Young children spend much of their waking hours exploring their world. Underlying many of their explorations is the desire to determine if they are in the presence of one thing or two things, e.g. a solid whole or a part that can be detached. This interest in exploring the difference between one thing and two things could well be hardwired into the brains of our species. As teachers, knowing these instinctive drivers of action provides a good starting place for designing a rich problem-solving environment for children.

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