Your child at 3 years old

Around the age of 3, a child's imagination and language skills seem to be overwhelmed. They discover all sorts of words, make up stories and fun activities, and learn how to build relationships. In addition to all this fun, they also try to learn something good and bad and deal with their feelings, which can sometimes overwhelm them.

Milestones can help guide you through all of these changes. They tell you about the types of skills that children typically learn at certain ages, which will help you see if your child is learning all the right things and help you prepare for what comes next. In addition to milestones, it's also helpful to know how to support your child's development and how to keep them safe.

Milestones at age 3

You can expect your child to master these skills by age 3 or soon after. Keep in mind that milestones are guidelines - children reach them at their own pace. Some children acquire these skills before the age of 3, others later. However, if these milestones make you worried that your child is retarded, talk to your child's doctor.

Language and communication skills

Follows commands with 2-3 steps, like “Pick out your pyjamas and brush your teeth”
Has conversations using 2-3 sentences at a time
Knows how to use pronouns like “I,” “you,” and “we,” and knows some plural words like “cats” and “cars”
Names friends
Names common objects and understands words like “in,” “on,” and “under”
Says first name, age, and gender
Speaks sentences with 3-4 words
Talks clearly enough that even strangers can usually understand

Movement and physical skills

Climbs and runs well
Jumps and may hop on one foot
Pedals a tricycle
Walks up and down stairs using one foot on each step

Social and emotional skills

Copies what adults and friends do
Doesn’t get upset when parents leave, like at day care drop-off
Dresses and undresses without help
Gets the idea of “mine,” “his,” and “hers”
Likes to help with tasks around the house
May be potty trained during the day
Openly shows affection
Really likes routine -- gets upset with big changes
Shows concern when friends are upset
Shows a wide range of feelings
Takes turns when playing with others

Thinking and mental skills

Copies circles
Does 3-4 piece puzzles
Knows what “two” means
Makes up stories and plays make-believe with animals, dolls, and people
Names some colors
Screws jar lids on and off and turns door knobs
Stacks more than six blocks
Turns pages in a book one at a time
Uses toys with levers, buttons, and moving parts

How to help your child

There are many things you can do every day to help your child learn and grow, such as:

Allow plenty of time for play, including pretend play and running.
Ask the child to talk about what he sees when he is in the car or when he leaves the house.
Create and stick to a bedtime routine – nightmares and nocturnal awakenings are common at this age, but a routine can help
Give your child enough time to play with friends and take turns working.
Read to your child every day and ask questions about the stories
Sing simple songs together and play rhyming games.
Offer activities such as coloring, drawing, and creating art with crayons, paper, tape, markers, and other supplies.
Talk and listen to your child - ask him what happened during the day with his friends or what he did.

To help your child learn to work with strong emotions and impulses, you can:

Give your child clear and reasonable rules - focus on praising the behavior you want to see
Help your child express their feelings - by reading books, show your child how to relate to what the characters feel.
Use timeouts when needed

Regarding TVs, smartphones, computers and tablets, doctors advise you to:

Keep appliances away from bedrooms
Limit screen time to 1 hour per day for quality programming
Talk about what you watch together and how it applies to the world

How to keep your child safe

All these new skills are very interesting. You should let your child explore, but you also need a watchful eye, especially with common hazards like falls, burns, and poisoning.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Always wear helmets on bicycles, tricycles and other riding toys.
Check for window bars on the second floor and above - and move furniture away from windows.
Do not keep firearms at home. If you have a firearm, keep it unloaded, locked and separated from bullets. And make sure the kids can't get the key.
Follow the game near the streets and alleys
Let your child explore but avoid falls, especially near playgrounds, doors, windows and stairs.
Make sure your child always rides in a car seat in the back seat - and switch to a booster seat when your child grows up
Never leave a child alone in a car, house or yard - and do not rely on older siblings to look after your child instead of you.
Be careful in the kitchen - spilled liquids, splashes and hot surfaces can cause severe burns.
Supervise your child at all times when in or near water.
As your child gets better at climbing, you'll find drawers, cabinets, and countertops that were once safe are now a challenge. Make sure medicines, cleaning products, and small household items that can be swallowed, such as magnets and batteries, are not visible or accessible.