3-Year Toddler Milestones

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Did you know that 80% of the brain develops by age 3? That means, your 3-year-old is exploding with new skills! That curious toddler of yours has somehow morphed into an active, silly, talkative preschooler with a zillion questions that need to be answered. But since 3-year-olds arenât ready for reasoning yet (Toddler-ese is still a go-to), itâs smart to answer the onslaught of Whys with easy-to-digest answers, like âso you donât get hurtâ or âbecause it makes your body strongâ or to simply say âI donât knowâ if thatâs the case. Itâs also great to counter these questions with an ask of your own: Should we look for an answer in your books? Whatever you do, always take your 3-year-oldâs questions seriously! Doing so will expand your childâs knowledge and feed their curiosity. Speaking of curiosity: Are you curious about other ways your 3-year-old is growing and changing? Keep reading for more insights on 3-year-oldâs milestones.
3-Year-Old Milestone Checklist
Hereâs a list of milestones most kids (that means 75% or more) can do by 3 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)âŚ
Social and Emotional Milestones
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Can calm down within 10 minutes after you leave them, like at a daycare drop off
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Notices other children playing and joins in
Language and Communication Milestones
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Has conversations with you using at least two back-and-forth exchanges
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Asks who, what, where, and why questions, such as âWhereâs mommy?â
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Says what kind of action (i.e.: running, eating) is happening in a picture or book when asked
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Says first name when you ask
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Usually speaks well enough for others to understand
Learning, Thinking, and Problem-Solving Milestones
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Draws a circle after you show them how
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Avoids touching hot objects, like a stove, once you warn them
Movement and Physical Development Milestones
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Can string items together, like large beads or macaroni
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Able to put on some articles of clothes by themselves, such as a jacket
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Uses a fork
Your 3-Year-Oldâs Growth
A typical 3-year-old gains an average of 4 to 6 poundsâand grows around 2 to 3 inchesâa year. That means, the average 3-year-old weighs around 30 pounds and stands roughly 37 inches tallâand is starting to look more like a big kid. For example, thereâs a good chance your totâs adorable pot belly is now less rounded. Their head and legs are now more in proportion with the rest of their body.
Your 3-year-oldâs smile is finally rocking a complete set of baby teeth! Your tot will hold onto those teeth for about three years. (Typically children begin to lose their baby teeth at about age 6.) While you may worry if your child isnât as tall as, or weighs more than, or has fewer teeth than their playmates, know that the most important aspect of your 3-year-oldâs healthy growth and development is that theyâre continuing to grow at a ânormalâ rate.
Your 3-Year-Oldâs Language Development
Right now, your 3-year-old can likely rattle off at least 200+ words, their sentences are 2- to 3-words long, and they can have at least two back-and-forth exchanges in their conversations. Many 3-year-olds also answer simple who, what, where, and why questionsâand turn most everyday words plural when appropriate.
Your 3-year-oldâs articulation has greatly improved, too, which means you can now understand about 75% of what your child says to you. Thereâs a good bet, however, that your bub may still have a tough time saying more difficult sounds, such as l, r, s, sh, ch, y, v, z, th. (Those may not be fully mastered till around the age of 7.)
Continue to help your 3-year-old build their vocabulary by reading to them a lotâand adding onto their sentences and correcting their grammar. For example, if your 3-year-old says, âI likes red houseâ you can respond with, âI like the big, bright red house, too!â Or if your 3-year-old says something like âI want nana,â repeat back âYou want a banana?â
Your 3-Year-Oldâs Development: Motor Skills
Around age 3, your childâs muscle control is blossoming! For one, they now have more precise finger and hand movements, leading to a more adult-like grasp, where their thumb sits on one side of the crayon, and their fingers on the other. (This is a fine motor skill.) Three-year-olds love to repeat lines and shapes (dots, open circles) and to pepper their artwork with shapes that look like Hs, Ts, Vs, and Xs. (Learn more about your budding artist!) Additional fine motor skills your 3-year-olds are starting to master include tracing, stringing 1-inch beads onto a string, using child-safe scissors, and stacking 10 cubes.Â
Your bubâs gross motor skills, which involve large muscles (legs, arms, trunk, neck) are booming, too. Right now, most 3-year-olds canâŚ
- Run
- Walk across a 4-inch balance beam
- Move forward and backward with agility
- Alternate feet going up and down stairs
- Jump in place
- Jump forward 8 to 12 inches
- Pedal a tricycle
- Catch an 8-inch ball thrown from 5 feet
- Kick a ball
- Throw a ball
- Bend over easily
- Balance on each foot for 3 seconds
- Walk across a 4-inch balance beam
Your 3-Year-Oldâs Development: Play
Three-year-olds have rich fantasy lives, often imagining that their toys can communicate and play with them! (SNOObear told me all about their friends in forest!) At this age, kids are also starting to develop super-specific interests (Dino obsession, anyone?) and will likely have lots of opinions on toys they play with. Your child is still deep into parallel play, but something called associate play starts to emerge, too. Here, your child begins to interact with others during play. For example, your 3-year-old might play on the same piece of playground equipment as other kiddos, but theyâre all doing different things.
Three-year-old also express more interest in structured games, like tag or follow the leader, and enjoy playing in the sandbox for longer periods of timeâbut know that they may still have trouble sharing toys and experience conflict when playing with others. Three-year-olds can nowâŚ
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Work mechanical toys
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Play matching games
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Take turns in games
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Play make believe
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Play counting games
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Imitate playmates
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Sort objects by shape and color
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Complete 3- to 10-piece puzzles
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Play âMommyâ or âDaddyâ
Feeding Your 3-Year-Old
A childâs appetite often drops around 3 years oldâand itâs not because of picky eating. Instead, 3-year-olds are simply growing at a slower rate than 2-year-olds, so they need less food. Even still, each day, your 3-year-old requires about 40 calories for every inch of their height. To get there, rely on simple meals, which is what 3-year-olds prefer. All you really need to do is include a protein source, a whole grain, a fruit and/or vegetable, and a serving of dairy. That means, a half turkey sandwich on 100% whole grain bread with a quarter cup of matchstick carrots and a sliced half an apple, plus a half-cup of milk is mealtime perfection for a 3-year-old! By 3, your child should be eating with a fork and spoon.
If the idea of a simple turkey sammie still strikes fear in your heart, know that if your child was a picky eater at 2 years old, thereâs a good chance their attitude may soften by age 3, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Many 3-year-olds are better at participating in family meals and enjoying them, too. Of course, food preferences still existâand may vary from day to day. For example, your tot may wolf down PB&Js one day, then refuse the very same sandwich a week later. They may also get stuck on one food that they only want to eat. This so-called âfood jagâ usually doesnât last long. The key is to not overreact to these changing tides and not to fall over yourself catering to your totâs every whim. Instead, give your 3-year-old simple, healthy food choices every day. So, at snack time ask questions like, âDo you want a cheese stick or yogurt?â This is what Dr. Harvey Karp calls a win-win compromise. Remember itâs your job to decide what healthy foods to offer your 3-year-old and itâs their job to decide which of those to eatâand how much. (PS: Developing a taste for new foods can take up to 20 repeated exposures, noted the AAP.)
But just because your child is looking and acting more like a big kid, doesnât mean safe-eating rules get tossed out with their diapers! Continue to keep choking hazards off your 3-year-oldâs plate, including large pieces of hard raw vegetables, whole grapes, whole hot dogs, spoonfuls of peanut butter, chips, nuts, and popcorn. Learn more about whatâs considered a choking hazard for 3-year-olds.
Kitchen Chores for 3-Year-Olds
To further their mealtime enjoyment, let your child help with making meals! Your budding tot is more than capable of handling a number of simple kitchen tasks. Three-year-olds canâŚ
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Wash fruits and vegetables
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Squeeze lemons and limes
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Tear lettuce for a salad
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Stir
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Add ingredients
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Help assemble a pizza
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Use a pastry brush to spread cooking oil on bread or veggies
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Use cookie cutters
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Mash potatoes
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Pour milk with help
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Help count out items with you (âCan you help me count out two eggs and three bananas?â)
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Put forks, spoons, and napkins on the table
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Wipe up tabletops
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Use a small spoon and fork
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Chop herbs with a butter or other child-safe knife
Here are more age-appropriate chores to try with your 3-year-old!
3-Year-Old Milestones: Health
Starting at 3 years old, your growing totâs well-child visits now only occur once a year! Of course, 3-year-olds get an average of 6 to 8 colds a yearâplus several bouts of diarrhea and vomiting, as well as ear infectionsâso, chances are youâll still be seeing the pediatrician at times throughout the year.
But, back to well-visits! At your childâs 3-year checkup, the pediatrician will perform the standard physical exam (height, weight, reflexes, etc.) and some tots may be checked for anemia, lead, and/or tuberculosis, if needed. The doc will also ask about your 3-year-oldâs nutrition, their reading and language development, and about potty habits. At 3 years old, kids have good bladder and bowel control and are usually able to use a potty chair or toilet. (American parents usually begin potty training their tots between 2 and 3 years old.)Â
If your 3-year-old missed any vaccinesâor needs a flu shotâthey can easily be given during their well-child visit. While visual acuity screening (seeing details of letters or symbols from a distance) is recommended to begin between the ages 4 and 5, according to the AAP, cooperative 3-year-olds may be tested, too. By the way, at 3 years old, your bubâs vision is nearing 20/20!
To help keep your 3-year-old healthy, feed them a variety of nutritious foods, limit juice to no more than 4 ounces a day, avoid flavored milk, and limit processed food. According to the AAP, 3-year-olds need at least 3 hours of physical activity each dayâor about 15 minutes every hour they are awake. Moreover, 3-year-olds should not be inactive for more than 1 hour at a timeâexcept when sleeping. As much as you can, encourage lots of outdoor activity, allowing your child to choose what and how they want to play. Join them and follow their lead!
3-Year-Old Sleep Milestones
How much sleep do 3-year-olds need?
While 2-year-olds need 11 to 14 hours of shuteye, your big kid can clock a little lessâspecifically, between 10 and 13 hours of sleep, including naps, over a 24-hour period. That said, not all 3-year-olds are nappers. By the time children are 3, 33% have stopped napping, according to a 2020 report in Sleep Medicine Reviews.
3-Year-Old Sleep Regressions
Nap or no nap, for some kiddos, evening sleep can be disrupted by a 3-year sleep regression. Parents most often report toddler sleep regression occurring around 18 months and again at 2 years old, but sleep regressions and other sleep problems can happen at 3-years-old, too, thanks to a too-late or too-early bedtime, newfound anxiety, transitioning to a toddler bed, potty training, too much pre-bed screens or roughhousing, or nightmares.
Nightmares, in fact, tend to peak between 3 and 12 years old. Here, your bub may wake up crying or afraid and may have difficulty drifting back to sleep. According to Dr. Harvey Karp, nightmares may begin at this time because 3-year-oldsâŚ
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Feel more vulnerable than before
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Are witnessing and experiencing more upsetting things in real life or on screens
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 May be holding back angry feelings. For example, when a child is trying to control aggressive impulses and not hit, bite, or yell, that anger can break through at night into violent, scary dreams.
Think about how real dreams can seem to us. Now imagine how real and scary they must seem to a 3-year-old! Nightmares can cause a child to fear falling asleep, and even to fear being in the bedroom. To help quell your 3-year-oldâs uneasy feelings, turn on a just-bright-enough nightlight, like SNOObie. If your child can see familiar surroundings when they wake at 2am, it can help them feel safer.
3-Year-Old Behavior
During your bubâs third year, the connections in their prefrontal cortexâor the part of the brain associated with cognitive behavior, personality, and decision-makingâare exploding! As a result, your childâs cognitive abilities, their thoughts and behaviors are maturing rapidly. While every 3-year-old will develop their own unique personality, there are some common behavioral traits that many exhibit, such as spontaneously showing affection to familiar folks, asking grownups tons of questions, and starting to take turns and share with playmatesâŚthough your bub will likely still have some trouble sharing toys at times. (Sharing skills most often develop between 3.5 to 4 years old.)
Because 3-year-olds are also beginning to express their wide range of emotion in a more socially acceptable way, temper tantrums will be less frequent! In fact, most children begin to have fewer temper tantrums by age 3.5. And according to the National Library of Medicine, temper tantrums generally keep on decreasing and, after age 4, they rarely occur. (Cue the confetti!) When tantrums do occur, first assess whether your child is tired, hungry, or ill, which are all tantrum triggers.
Next, lean into this Dr. Harvey Karpâs advice:
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Speak to your 3-year-old in short phrases. Too many words overwhelm an upset 3-year-oldâs brain. Stick to one- to three-word phrases until your child calms.
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Repeat yourself. Expect to repeat your short phrases three to five timesâor more if your tyke needs it.
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Mirror your childâs emotions. Reflect about one-third of your childâs emotional intensity with your facial expression, tone of voice, and hand gestures. This shows your 3-year-old that you understand their emotions.
Also, keep in mind, a 3-year-oldâs brain still lacks the ability to fully put the brakes on âbadâ behavior, like hitting a friend. While most 3-year-olds are 100% capable of repeating a rule to you, they donât have the impulse control to act on it until theyâre about 3.5 or 4 years old. And even then, itâll take years to be used consistently. In the meantime, for help stopping your 3 year oldâs âred lightâ behaviorsâand for help taming 3-year-oldâs tantrums, follow Dr. Karpâs tried-and-true advice!
More Insights on Your 3-Year-Old
- The Best Toys for Your 3-Year-Old
- Best Books for 3-Year-Olds
- Three Types of Play Your 3-Year-Old Needs
- All About Toddler Sleep
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REFERENCESÂ
- Michigan Kids Matter: Development and Milestones for Toddlers (1 - 3 Years)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Cognitive Development In Preschool Children
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Important Milestones: Your Child By Three Years
- Children's Health of Orange County (CHOC): Development Milestones for Your 3-Year-Old Child
- CDC: Data Table of Infant Weight-for-age Charts
- CDC: Data Table of Infant Length-for-age Charts
- Kaiser Permanente: Milestones for 3-Year-Olds
- Mayo Clinic: At what age do children start losing their baby teeth?
- Nemours Childrenâs Health: KidsHealth: Growth and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old
- Nemours Childrenâs Health: KidsHealth: Communication and Your 2- to 3-Year-Old
- Stanford Medicine: Age-Appropriate Speech and Language Milestones
- Zero To Three: Learning to Write and DrawÂ
- Childrenâs Minnesota: Developmental MileÂ
- Pathways: How Kids Learn to Play: 6 Stages of Play DevelopmentÂ
- AAP: Movement Milestones in PreschoolersÂ
- AAP: Your Checkup Checklist: 3 Years OldÂ
- AAP: Serving Sizes for ToddlersÂ
- AAP: Feeding & Nutrition Tips: Your 3-Year-OldÂ
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA): Behavioral Milestones, 2-5 year olds!Â
- USDA: Kitchen Activities, 2-5 year olds!Â
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Teaching Kids to CookÂ
- T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies: Cooking at Every Age, Why Kids Should Learn To CookÂ
- Nemours Childrenâs Health: KidsHealth: Medical Care and Your 2- to 3-Year-OldÂ
- AAP: The Right Age to Potty TrainÂ
- AAP: Vision Screenings for Babies & ChildrenÂ
- AAP: Recommended Drinks for Children Age 5 & YoungerÂ
- AAP: Making Physical Activity a Way of Life: AAP Policy ExplainedÂ
- AAP: Healthy Sleep Habits: How Many Hours Does Your Child Need?Â
- Many naps, one nap, none: A systematic review and meta-analysis of napping patterns in children 0-12 years. Sleep Medicine Reviews. November 2019Â
- The Urban Child Institute: Babyâs Brain Begins Now: Conception to Age 3Â
- Zero to Three: Helping Young Children With SharingÂ
- Mayo Clinic: Temper tantrums in toddlers: How to keep the peaceÂ
- National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlus: Temper tantrumsÂ
- Zero To Three: Toddler Tantrums 101: Why They Happen and What You Can Do
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