• talks with you in a conversation using at least two back-and-forth exchanges; asks “who”, “what” “where”, or “why” questions, like “Where is mommy/daddy?”;
• says first name, when asked;
• talks well enough for others to understand, most of the time

They can draw a circle when you show them how

They avoid touching hot objects like a stove, when you warn them.

They can string items together, like large beads or macaroni.

They can put on some clothes by themselves, like loose pants or a jacket;

They can use a fork to eat.

• Correctly names some colours
• Understands the concept of counting and may know a few numbers
• Approaches problems from a single point of view
• Begins to have a clearer sense of time
• Follows three-part commands
• Recalls parts of a story
• Engages in imaginative play

• Understands the concepts of “same” and “different”
• Understands simple prepositions such as “on” and “under”
• Uses 3-word sentences
• Uses words that are 75% understandable by strangers
• Tells stories

Your 3 to 4-year old’s ‘inner world’ is very powerful.

It can be difficult to sort out ‘pretend’ and ‘real’.

Can children grow wings and fly like in picture books?

Three year olds do not tell ‘lies’ as such, but sometimes imagination and reality get mixed up.

Never laugh at their confusion and give them small amounts of simple information when explaining things.

• can now understand that their mind is separate from you and that you can’t read their mind
• still doesn’t really understand about things like height and size. They think that a tall thin glass holds more than a short fat one – so there can be mistakes with pouring
• shows some understanding of time and that night follows day
• understands the meaning of tall, short, big and little
• can say ‘she’s a girl’ (or he’s a boy) and whether other children are boys or girls, but they don’t understand that this is permanent
• can tell you how old they are

Your child may be able to draw a person by the time they’re 4.

The person will probably have a big round head with eyes and a mouth, maybe with legs poking straight out of the head

Your 3-year-old is now talking in simple sentences.

There is so much going on inside their head that often the words can’t come out fast enough to describe it all.

They might stumble when expressing themselves – it can be exhausting to listen and explain things to your child, but enjoy being able to share in their rich imagination.

• They’ll love to be read to, but may want the same book over and over.
• They’ll usually be able to let you know what they want in most situations.
• Some 3 year olds speak very clearly, while others still use some ‘baby talk’.
• Your child may stumble over some words, but this will probably clear up by itself.
• Your 3-year-old can understand 1000 or more words. They can understand ‘place’ words – under, on, beside, back, over.
• They’ll ask lots of ‘What’, ‘Who’, ‘Where’ and ‘Why’ questions.
• They can talk about what happened yesterday and about tomorrow.

Help them by building on what they say to you. Be patient.

Don’t correct ‘wrong’ words – be positive and include the correct word in your answer.

Some children become such enthusiastic talkers that their constant questions can become annoying.

Try to slow this down by asking her questions instead, or for some quiet time – at least for a few minutes.

At 3, your child’s speaking abilities should start to explode.

They will be talking in longer sentences of about 4-5 words, and will be able to start having real conversations with you.

Your child should be able to ask for items by their name, understand simple instructions, and make eye contact with others

As your child’s curiosity about the world around them increases, so will the kinds of things they want to talk about.

You can expect a lot of “why” and “how” questions now, as your child soaks in everything there is to know about how the world works, and their place in it

By the age of 3, your child has a vocabulary of 200 or more words and can connect them in longer sentences of 3 or more words.

You may start having a conversation in which you and your child speak in turn.

Much of their speech will now be understandable.

They will be able to follow a 2 to 3 step instruction.

During the year, you’ll also notice your child starting to use grammar rules of language.

Such as using past-tense verbs such as “I walked with daddy” instead of “I walk with daddy.”

Children who grow up in homes where multiple languages are spoken will develop similarly but not exactly the same as those who grow up with a single language.

For instance, your bilingual child might not be saying 50 words in one language but can likely say 50 words across two languages.

Your child will start to try and solve problems, match objects or pictures and answer ‘who, what and where’ questions.

Your child will understand more about how events and actions are connected, for example, that changing from slippers to shoes means they’re going out.

You’ll notice your child talking or singing to themselves when playing and giving voices to their toys.

However, 3 and 4 year olds are too young for team or competitive games.

• Allow your child as much time as you can to ‘get things right’ or do it for themselves – be patient!
• Give them plenty of warning before they have to finish an activity and pack up their toys, or get ready to leave the house.
• Provide simple games with turns and rules so they’re starting to learn about cooperation.
• Children of this age enjoy rhythm – encourage this by providing music, songs and rhymes, and lids to bang on. Sing simple songs with them.
• They’ll enjoy painting and drawing, so provide big pieces of paper and pencils, textas or paints. Talk about the story their drawing tells.
• Provide books with pictures that tell a story – ask questions about the pictures and talk about the story.

• Encourage your child to identify/label their emotions and those of others.
• Play games that involve taking turns (ex. Follow the Leader) and following simple rules (ex. Red Light, Green Light).
• Stage a pretend argument between dolls and talk with child about what happened and how to work through problems.
• Tell a favourite story (ex. Goldilocks & the Three Bears) and see if your child can tell you how the characters in the story felt.
• Get down on the floor and play! Follow your child’s lead and ideas.
• Tell silly jokes and simple riddles. Laugh with your child!
• Let your child know every day that they are awesome and loved!

3-year-olds are prone to having very big feelings, and they don’t always know how to manage them besides acting out or melting down.

Besides trying to remain calm yourself, you can try helping your child conceptualize and better understand how they are feeling.

You can do this by assisting your child in naming their feelings (“sad,” “mad,” “frustrated,” etc.) and reassuring them that these feelings are normal.

While your child is in the middle of a tantrum, there are a couple of methods you can consider to help manage the situation.

You can try redirection, which is where you try to distract your child by suggesting a fun activity or offering them a favourite toy.

You can also try giving your child options. For example, rather than saying, “No, you can’t climb up on the counter,” you can say, “Would you rather go outside and play on the slide, or have a dance party?”

Finally, it can be helpful to try and stay on top of your child’s meltdowns by making sure they get enough sleep and eat regular meals.

A hungry, tired child is much more likely to have a meltdown than one who is fed and rested.

You can further help your child develop and reach milestones by:

• allowing them to take part in a range of play activities that help show them how to get along with others and improve gross and fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
• encouraging and praising efforts at both existing and new skills to boost their confidence to keep trying new things

Reading, listening and talking to your toddler,  encourages conversation, builds communication skills and makes them feel valued.

Provide lots of love, fun, approval and encouragement.

But you also need to start setting limits that you can and are prepared to enforce