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So true, small children do seem to squat very naturally and with great form and posture. It's a shame that this gets lost around school age (at least from what I've observed in my kids).

Now as a 40-something adult who performs squats for exercise (both weighted and non) and has to fight with mobility/flexibility issues when performing this exercise, I do envy (and am somewhat awed by) the "tiny humans" in this regard.

You most likely lack hip and/or ankle flexibility. Practice going as deep as you can without falling over, optionally while holding onto something (for stability, try to keep the weight on your feet), and try to go deeper and/or hold for longer every day. It'll get easier.

It could be tendons that need stretching; but it could also be inherent anatomical differences. I have curved shins, which pushes everything from the knee up a few inches backward when I try to squat. It's physically impossible for me to do a heels-down squat without bending my back to lean forward between my knees.

If that's true, you probably need to spread your knees apart more, and bend at the hip joint more to achieve full squat depth. Rounding your back == bad.