3-year-old growth & development

The fun has just begun for your 3-year-old. Support your growing child with our expert insights for this stage of development.

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3-year-old
Social Emotional
Independence
Social Play
Welcome to The Observer Play Kit for months 37-39
Age 3 is a period of major social and emotional growth, and your 3-year-old will need support managing their big emotions. The Observer Play Kit can help you and your child navigate this important time of transition.
Mother and child playing the Turtle Hatch Game by Lovevery
Executive Function
Self-control
Games
5 fun games that help your 3-year-old practice impulse control
Impulse control is a lifelong skill, and its development begins in early childhood. Giving your child fun and engaging ways of working on it now supports them in a wide variety of ways.
Toddler looking at a Lovevery book
Independence
Sleeping
What do you do when your 3-year-old stops napping?
It can be hard for both you and your child when they drop their last nap. Here are some ways to make the transition easier for everyone.
Toddler smiling with flour on their face
Social Emotional
Independence
Imaginative Play
Now we are 3: Here’s what to look forward to
Three years old comes with new social-emotional and logic skills, language, independence, curiosity, and a sense of right and wrong. Learn more in our post.
Social Emotional
Literacy
Pretend Play
Practical Life
Welcome to The Storyteller Play Kit for months 40-42
Inside our Storyteller Play Kit, you’ll find a Puppet Theater and Puppet Set designed to help spark your child’s imagination and bring their storytelling to life.
Language
Math
Cognitive Development
Welcome to The Problem Solver Play Kit for months 43-45
The Problem Solver Play Kit supports your 3-year-old’s desire to categorize, and the increasingly complex way they understand the world and their place in it.
Child holding their mom's leg
Montessori
Fears
Preschool
Preparing your child (and yourself!) for preschool
The transition to preschool can be equal parts exciting and nerve-wracking for both you and your child. Here's how to support them before their first day.
Sensory Play
Independence
Welcome to The Analyst Play Kit for months 46-48
As your child’s fine motor skills become more complex and precise, they’re also becoming more resilient, independent, and focused. The Analyst Play Kit supports this development.
Welcome to the Play Kits for 3-year-olds
Fact: A rich emotional vocabulary can help your toddler understand and process their feelings.
Try this to raise your child’s emotional intelligence
Using specific and even complex words to describe how your child feels gives them a deeper, more nuanced understanding of their emotions.