3-Year-Old Milestone Developments

Watching your toddler grow and mature comes with so much joy and fun. At three years, your child now has thoughts, needs, imaginations, and self-awareness. There are not many materials and information on developmental milestones to expect from your growing child. Hence, this is a breakdown of what to expect from your 3-year-old. These milestones are not set in stone because some children attain them earlier than three years, while others a little later. Also, the degree of development of each of these skills depends on each child’s ability, environment, and sometimes genetics. Here are physical, language, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones for a 3-year old.

Physical Milestones

At three years of age, your toddler is even more on the move than ever. They should be able to walk on alternating feet up and down the stairs without falling. Running, hopping, and jumping comes easy at this age. Playing sports starts at this age as your child can throw, catch, and kick a ball. Your child also develops fine motor skills like handling small objects. They can dress and undress, turn the pages in a book, turn handles, write capital letters, and draw simple shapes like circles and squares. Checkout these early learning activities for your kids to keep them engaged. As a parent, you can delegate self-bathing and grooming tasks to your child.

Language Milestones

At age 3, your child not only moves but can speak in simple sentences. They can say their names, age, and school. They can also answer simple questions and tell stories. This stage is where you discover how much or how little a talkative your child is. As a parent, encourage your child to talk by talking to them and requesting answers to your questions. Ask about daycare, their friends, and favorite stories. Here are some story books for your toddlers to enhance their imagination.

Emotional Milestones

Three years is the magic year, where your child starts being aware of themselves. Temper tantrums are not uncommon at this age. They also discover other emotions like frustration, rejection, and excitement. Teach them to express their thoughts and emotions in words or other creative ways like colors. When your child is on a temper tantrum, ask why your child is mad about something; this will encourage them to express their emotions in words.

Cognitive Milestones

Three years old is the age of learning how to absorb and process information. Your child starts learning how to interpret what is being said and give responses. They absorb information faster, verbal or non-verbal. They also build memory and imagination at this point. At this stage, they have a lot of questions. As a parent, answer as many questions as possible. Answering their questions keeps the curiosity alive; this is healthy for building intelligence.

These developmental milestones should guide you on how to build your child’s overall health. It is at this stage your child starts to form a solid personality. Make sure you encourage them to be themselves and build healthy habits.