Alternate Names : Childhood Growth Milestones - 3 Years, Growth Milestones for Children - 3 Years, Normal Childhood Growth Milestones - 3 Years

Definition

These developmental milestones are skills and physiological growth markers that normal 3-year-olds have attained.

Information

These milestones are typicial of children in the third year of life. Always keep in mind that some variation is normal. If you have questions about your child's development, contact your health care provider.

Physical and motor:

• Gains about 5 pounds
• Grows about 3 inches taller
• Has improved balance
• Has improved vision
• May have daytime control over bowel and bladder functions and may have
  nighttime control as well
• Can briefly balance on one foot
• May walk up the stairs with alternating feet
• Can construct a block tower of more than 6 cubes
• Can easily place small objects in a small opening

Sensory and cognitive:

• Has a vocabulary of many hundreds of words
• Composes sentences of 3 to 4 words
• Frequently asks questions
• Can dress self, only requiring assistance with laces, buttons, and other
  fasteners in awkward places
• Has longer attention span
• Feeds self without difficulty
• Acts out social encounters through play activities
• Has some decrease in separation anxiety for short periods of time

At age 3, nearly all speech should be understandable

Recommendations for parents regarding appropriate play at this age:

• Provide a safe play environment and constant supervision
• Encourage and provide the necessary space for physical activity
• Instruct the child how to participate in and learn the rules of sporting activities
• Encourage play with other children to help develop socialization
  skills
• Encourage creative play
• Read together
• Limit both the time and the content of television viewing
• Expose your child to different stimuli by visiting local areas of interest
• Encourage your child to learn by answering questions and providing activities related to the child's particular interests