Three Years Old

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Please remember that every child grows and develops at his own rate and that no two children are exactly alike at a given age.

Motor Development

• Standing for the 3 year old requires little conscious effort and he is able to maintain his balance quite easily. He may be able to stand on 1 foot momentarily or balance on his toes.
• Walking is more steady. The 3 year old swings his arms freely as he walks rather than using them for balance, as in the past. He likes to gallop, run and jump and does so with ease just for the fun of it.
• The three year old can now alternate his feet when climbing stairs, but still uses half-stepping when descending.
• The three year old can now ride a tricycle using the pedals.

Fine Motor Development

• Hands are now used more independently of eyes. A 3 year old doesn’t need to watch what his hands are doing.
• Three year olds are capable of building large block towers up to 9 high.
• Able to feed self without spilling and also able to pour water from a pitcher to cup with little or no spilling (as in water play).
• The 3 year old is able to copy a drawing of a circle or cross when first shown how to do it.
• He loves to put coins in a bank and is able to string beads and arrange them by shape and/or color.
• The three year old is able to undress himself and is beginning to unbutton large buttons.

Language Development

• The 3 year old is quite interested not only in what he says to others, but also in what others say to him. He is now able to talk in great detail about things he sees. He is able to converse freely with both adults and children. When speaking to adults, the 3 year old child likes to report what he has done, is doing or plans to do. He also often asks for an adult’s help with these tasks.
• The 3 year old is beginning to ask “why,” “how,” “what,” “when” and is now referring to himself as “I” rather than “me”.
• He knows his name, age and sex.
• The 3 year old adores rhyming words and making up new words. He responds beautifully to words like “surprise,” “secret” and “different”. These words can be used by parents to continue a situation that may be fatiguing to the 3 year old. Almost any activity can be enjoyed by your 3 year old if you tell him it’s “new,” “different” or a “surprise.”

Social Development

• The typical 3 year old is happy, calm, secure, friendly and giving. He likes to please and always to do things “right.” He is quite susceptible to praise and favorable comments.
• Three year old’s temper tantrums are being replaced by words and he is now actually beginning to share his possessions.
• Three year old’s sense of humor is developing quite well. He still enjoys using silly language and pronouncing words wrong on purpose because they sound funny. He enjoys playing guessing games with adults especially when adults tease and guess wrong. (For example: “I like your red pants” -- when actually they are blue. )

Learning

• The three year old is beginning to have a sense of direction and often knows where he is going by citing landmarks.
• His sense of time has improved in that he can now accurately refer to past, present and future.
• The three year old may be able to count objects up to 5 and his concept of numbers is growing. He now may ask for 3 or 4 objects when at 2 1/2 he only asked for as many as 2 (one for each hand).
• He may be able to point to 4-6 common geometric shapes.
• The three year old continues to enjoy books. He still likes stories of everyday life, but is now also interested in stories that go beyond immediate home life (city, farm or transportation stories). He likes his stories read over and over until he has every word memorized. You may notice him completing sentences as you read or predicting what happens on the next page.
• Dramatization and imagination are beginning to emerge. Both are strong in many 3 year olds. Three year olds tell stories and if told a new story and asked to make up an ending, many 3 year olds will be able to do just that. He paints “pictures” but often they do not look like what he has reported himself as painting. Little figures begin to take shape when playing with clay or play dough.

Daily Routines

• The three year old has a good appetite and uses his silverware well.
• At bedtime, rituals are disappearing. He sleeps through the night and wakes very early. He now begins to report what he has dreamed about.
• Most three year olds are staying dry during the day and after naps. Some are dry through the night.
• The three year old loves his bath and is able to do a decent job when washing himself.
• Most three year olds can put on their socks, shoes, pants and sweaters, but often can’t tell the front from the back.

Age Appropriate Toys

• Balls, beanbags, toy animals
• Books, dolls, tape player and tapes
• Sewing cards, felt boards, puzzles
• Clay, construction paper, crayons, blunt scissors, paints
• Jungle gym, rhythm instruments, slide
• Costumes box for dress up, dishes, cooking utensils, play appliances
• Sand box with sand toys, soap bubbles
• Tricycle, wagon

Safety

• The leading causes of death and injury in preschoolers are accidents. These include drowning and fires. Be sure that your child knows the rules around pools and other bodies of water. Never leave them swimming without adult supervision. Make sure they are wearing life preservers when around the water.
• Make sure the fire/smoke detectors in your home are working. Teach your child fire safety. Have practice fire drills in your home so your child is not scared by the alarm and knows what actions to take.
• Remember to have your child restrained appropriately for his age and size in moving vehicles.
• Firearm safety continues to be an important safety issue as your child is curious and mobile.
• Unfortunately, times are such that parents really have to guard their children’s well-being. Three years of age is when parents may start their child in day-care or preschool and he will spend long stretches of time away from parents’ direct supervision. Now is the time when parents really need to be aware of child sexual abuse and how to prevent it. Opportunities for sexual abuse exist at home, at the homes of friends or relatives, at recreation sites, youth programs, schools, camps or any other places that are likely to attract children. Sexual abuse should not be confused with physical contacts between adult and child that are fond playful expressions of love. Sexual abuse is the use of children for sexual gratification of an adult. Eighty percent of all reported cases of sexual abuse are by family members and acquaintances of the child or family. It is usually accomplished successfully and most frequently by the offender using tricks and subtle coercion rather than by violent attacks or force. As parents, the most important thing you can do is open the door for discussion on the subject with your child. By doing so, you will become a trusted adult to the child -- one he feels comfortable with asking questions or reporting happenings.
• For more information on child abuse, write or call your local department of Social Services or write to :
  The National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect
  PO Box 1182
  Washington, DC 20013
  Your pediatrician, nurse or librarian can also suggest excellent books available to teach you, as parents, to open the doors to discussion with your child on this delicate subject.

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