Speech, Swallowing, & Voice Specialists of Hawaii
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3 YEARS OLD
Social/Emotional & Cognitive Milestones
Typical milestones during this age range
Social/Emotional
Plays with other children
Copies adults and friends
Shows affection for friend without prompting
Takes turns in games
Shows concern for a crying friend
Understands the idea of “mine”, “his”, or “hers”
Shows a wide variety of emotions
Separates easily from mom and dad
May get upset with major change in routine
Dresses and undresses self
Able to adapt changes in routine
Cognitive
Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts
Plays make believe with dolls, animals, and people
Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces
Understands what “two” means
Copies a circle with pencil or crayon
Turns book pages one at a time
Builds towers of more than 6 blocks
Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handles
Our sensory and motor skills play a big role in how we mature socially, emotionally, and cognitively. For this reason, some motor and sensory milestones for this age group are also listed below as they are intricately entangled in your child's social/emotional and cognitive development.
Motor
Climbs well
Runs easily
Pedals a tricycle (3-wheel bike)
Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step
Jumping in place
Uses scissors
Sensory
Enjoys swinging, being thrown in air, and roughhousing
Able to participate in messy activities that result in dirty hands
Aware of sensation such as a wet diaper or underpants
Able to tolerate and stay calm during haircuts and while clipping fingernails