The Top Three-Year-Old Milestones You Should Know

Turning three years old is a major milestone for both toddlers and their parents. At this age, your child is becoming more curious and exploratory than before. To help you make the most of this important year, we spoke with experts about the key developmental milestones to watch for in three-year-olds.

From mastering new motor skills to blossoming social and emotional abilities, here’s what you can expect as your little one becomes more independent, curious, and expressive.

What are developmental milestones and why do they matter?

Developmental milestones are skills most children can do around a certain age, explains Caitlin Sanschagrin, MS, OTR/L, a licensed pediatric occupational therapist.

“When they are babies, these include things like sitting up, rolling over, or waving ‘bye,’” she says. “Think of them as a general roadmap, not a rigid checklist. They help us understand how kids are growing and learning. And they can give us clues about when to offer extra support."

She adds that each child grows at their own speed. They might even miss a step and learn it later. What's important is that they are generally growing, adapting, and moving forward, even if it looks a bit different for each child.

Because children grow in many ways at once, we group milestones into different categories. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Movement: Includes gross motor skills (like crawling or jumping) and fine motor skills (like stacking blocks, using a crayon or moving objects from one hand to another).

• Cognitive: Involves thinking, problem-solving and exploring. “Examples are looking for hidden objects, putting items inside containers, using objects as intended (like holding a phone to their ear) or copying others’ actions,” says Sanschagrin.

• Social-Emotional: Covers connection, emotional expression and interactions with others. “This can look like a child moving away from their caregiver but checking back, responding to facial expressions, or bringing you an object to show,” she explains.

• Language/Communication: Encompasses both understanding and expressing with words, gestures, or signs. According to Sanschagrin, “These areas all work together and often overlap. For example, a child’s ability to communicate is deeply connected to their emotional development and relationships.”

Key areas of development for a three-year-old

Three-year-olds grow and learn in four important areas: gross and fine motor skills, cognitive development, and social and emotional development.

According to Jillian Amodio, LMSW, a licensed mental health professional, each plays a significant role in helping children explore their world and build new abilities. Here, she outlines what each category includes:

Gross motor skills

These are the big body movements using large muscle groups. Activities include:

• Running around the yard
• Pretending to fly with arms outstretched
• Skipping
• Swinging
• Sliding

Fine motor skills

Fine motor skills, according to Amodio, involve more precise movements, like:

• Holding a crayon to colour or scribble with intent
• Cutting with safety scissors
• Using utensils
• Turning the pages of a book

“Mastering these skills is essential for everyday tasks such as brushing teeth, tying shoes or fastening buttons.”

Cognitive development

Three-year-olds are naturally curious and eager to understand the world around them. “They want to know the ‘why’ behind everything,” she says. Look for these signs that they're developing cognitive skills:

• Imaginative play
• Memory
• Problem-solving abilities

Language development

At this age, children are rapidly developing their language and communication skills. Here are some to watch for:

• The ability to understand, process, and follow simple directions that include two or three tasks, such as ‘Go get your shoes and put them by the door'
• Storytelling
• Humour
• Using more complex sentences of three to four words.
• Identifying their feelings

Social and emotional development

Social and emotional growth is another important area at this age. Three-year-olds begin to:

• Interact more with others
• Share
• Take turns
• Play together rather than just alongside other children

“They are developing empathy, crave independence and thrive on positive praise. They like to help and enjoy feeling valuable.”

Gross motor milestones for a three-year-old

Nicole Runyon, LMSW, a licensed psychotherapist and parent coach, says that by age three, toddlers reach several important gross motor skills milestones.

"At this age, most children can walk confidently. They begin running, jumping and climbing as their balance and coordination improve," she explains. "This is a time for exploration and growing independence. Giving children safe ways to move helps them build not just their bodies, but also their confidence and resilience."

Activities to Support Development

To support your child's gross motor skills, Runyon suggests encouraging all kinds of movement, both indoors and outdoors.

"Parents can engage with kids over two by going on nature walks, kicking a ball, or playing pretend games, riding a tricycle, or playing pretend games," she explains. "These simple, everyday activities build strength, coordination, balance, and joy."

Fine motor milestones for a three-year-old

"Fine motor skills are essential because they empower young children to do things for themselves—like feeding, dressing, and toileting," says Dr. Jennifer Politis, PhD, LPC, ACS, an educational psychologist.

"By age three, many children can begin to dress and undress themselves with minimal assistance. These skills also support school readiness by laying the foundation for writing, drawing, and using classroom tools. In creative play, fine motor abilities help children express themselves, build confidence, and explore their world in meaningful ways."

Common fine motor milestones at age three

Copy a circle

"When a three-year-old can copy a circle, it shows they are developing the coordination and visual-motor skills needed for early writing," says Politis.

Building a block tower 

By age three, many children can stack about eight or more blocks. "This kind of play isn’t just fun—it’s a meaningful way for children to practice hand-eye coordination, precision, and patience, which all support fine motor growth," Politis explains.

Using child-safe scissors

Around this age, children often start snipping paper. "They may not cut along lines yet, but learning to open and close scissors and make small cuts helps strengthen hand muscles and improve coordination," she says.

Book handling

"At this age, children are generally able to turn pages in a book one at a time," Politis notes. "This skill shows developing dexterity and finger control."

Activities to support development

Politis recommends these hands-on activities:

• Playdough and clay: Squishing, rolling, and shaping help build hand strength.
• Crayons, markers, chalk and paintbrushes: These tools encourage proper grip and help children practice control as they make marks, shapes and creative designs.
• Stringing beads or pasta: Supports hand-eye coordination and concentration.

Cognitive developmental milestones for three-year-olds

According to Harpreet Kaur, PhD, ABPP, a board-certified child and adolescent psychologist, children at this age are learning about their environment and beginning to form and express opinions.

“At three, parents often say things like, ‘I feel like my toddler suddenly has opinions about everything,’ and they’re usually right,” Dr. Kaur explains.

Counting

At this stage, children begin to display early problem-solving skills, engage in more complex pretend play and show improved memory. They also begin to grasp the concept of numbers like ‘two’ and ‘three’—not in an abstract way, but by connecting numbers to real-life experiences.

“Most three-year-olds can start to identify and count small numbers of objects, especially if they’ve practiced in daily life,” Dr. Kaur says. “They might not fully understand what ‘three’ means in the abstract, but they’re beginning to link numbers to real-world situations. For example, you might notice your toddler wanting the same number of items as their sibling, or one for each hand.”

Sorting

Sorting is another important cognitive skill that emerges around this age, often during play.

“Some children love organizing toy animals by colour or size," Dr. Kaur notes. "That kind of categorization shows early reasoning and that your child understands the concept of sorting and grouping."

Sequences

Three-year-olds may understand sequences, which parents can reinforce through daily routines like bedtime or getting ready for school. Children may be able to follow two- or three-step instructions, though how well they do this can depend on how tired or hungry they are.

“Most three-year-olds can handle directions like, ‘Put your shoes by the door, then come sit at the table,’” Dr. Kaur clarifies. “But it’s also common for parents to say, ‘He heard me, but then he just ran off!’ That’s normal, too.”

Activities to support development: 

To support cognitive development, Dr. Kaur suggests:

• Encourage pretend play: Let your child lead the play, even if it means being the “baby tiger” for the tenth time today. That creativity is where learning happens.

• Read together daily: Ask your child to predict what happens next or point to items they recognize or notice in the pictures.

• Play simple sorting and matching games with blocks, socks, or snacks.

Language milestones for a three-year-old

“By age three, many children can form short sentences of three to five words. Most children can speak in three-word sentences, ask simple questions, and follow instructions,” says Ryann Sutera, M.S. CCC-SLP, a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist.

“I want to add that there is no ‘normal’—only an average. Neurodivergent children, for example, may develop these skills in different ways or on a different timeline. Their communication is still meaningful and valid.”

According to Sutera, the average three-year-old knows about 200 to 1,000 words. “But remember, vocabulary size doesn’t capture the richness of how a child communicates,” she adds.

To support language development in a three-year-old, Sutera suggests:

• Model without expectation: Describe actions and label items in a natural, non-demanding way.
• Gently suggest language: Instead of commands like “Say ‘more,’” try “You can say ‘more,’ if you’d like.”
• Follow their lead: Join the child in what interests them, and build language around those moments.
• Honour all communication: Gestures, signs, repeating what you've said or silence. Every learner communicates in their own way. Our job is to tune in, not to impose.

Social and emotional milestones for a three-year-old

"Some important milestones include expressing and understanding emotions, showing affection, learning independence, following family routines, showing empathy, controlling impulses (like during toilet training), and helping others. These skills are important for your child’s development,” says Dr. Dalad Srisuppak, LMHC, a licensed mental health counsellor.

Expressing a range of emotions

By age three, children can show a wide variety of feelings. "Now, a child understands their own emotions and those of others," explains Srisuppak. "For example, they might say when they feel happy, sad, scared, or angry, and they begin to use words to express these feelings."

Learning to become independent

"Three-year-olds begin to separate from their parents for short periods," says Srisuppak. "They are learning about object permanence and are becoming more independent. How long they can be apart depends on their readiness and daily routines."

Understanding the feelings of others

At this age, children begin noticing and responding to how others feel. "They learn about likes and dislikes by watching faces and reactions," Srisuppak shares. "Playing with others helps them practice empathy, such as sharing toys or comforting a friend."

Playing cooperatively with other children

Children also begin to play alongside or with others, a stage known as parallel play. "A child learns to share toys and take turns as they develop social skills and begin to understand others’ feelings," Srisuppak says. "Sometimes, they might make up their own rules during play, which is a normal part of their development. Play is an important way for children to communicate and connect with others."

Activities to support development

Srisuppak suggests, "Try playing games that involve taking turns and sharing, role-playing different emotions and situations, sensory play, puzzles, arts and crafts, reading books about feelings, going on a scavenger hunt, or playing with puppets."

When to consider seeking professional advice

Every child develops differently. However, Politis says if you notice several of these signs—or if you feel something just isn't right—it's worth seeking help. Talk to a pediatrician, early intervention specialist or child psychologist.

Communication

• Doesn’t speak in short phrases (two to three words).
• Speech is hard for unfamiliar people to understand.
• Rarely asks questions or labels familiar objects.
• Doesn’t follow simple two-step instructions (e.g., “Pick up the toy and give it to me”).

Social & Emotional

• Doesn’t show interest in playing with other children.
• Has limited eye contact or response to social interactions.
• Doesn’t show affection to familiar caregivers.
• Has extreme difficulty separating from parents beyond typical clinginess.

Motor Skills

• Struggles to run, climb, or use stairs without help.
• Cannot build a tower of 4+ blocks.
• Difficulty holding crayons or using age-appropriate utensils.

Behaviour & Play

• Engages in repetitive play (e.g., lining up toys, spinning wheels only).
• Shows little to no pretend play (e.g., feeding a doll, pretending to be on the phone).
• Is extremely rigid about routines or gets upset by changes.

Sensory or Attention Concerns

• Over- or under-reacts to sensory input (loud sounds, textures, lights).
• Doesn’t respond when their name is called.
• Has frequent, intense tantrums that are hard to calm down.

Fun activities to support your 3-year-old's development

Here are some fun, expert-recommended activities that support all areas of development:

Play with LEGO

LEGO blocks are more than just toys—they’re fantastic tools for learning.

Jocelyn Wood, MA, CCC, SLP, a bilingual speech-language pathologist, explains that playing with LEGO helps children develop fine motor skills, like using a pincer grasp to pick up small pieces and coordinating both hands to build or separate blocks.

"LEGO also encourages cognitive development as kids explore colours, shapes, and sizes, and spark creativity through building and pretend play, especially when working with friends," she adds.

Playing dress-up and pretend play

Dress-up and pretend-play games let children step into the shoes of different community helpers, like firefighters, doctors or ballerinas.

“Kids learn to adjust their language and behaviour to fit different roles,” says Wood. For example, a child pretending to be a firefighter might announce, “Let’s go save someone from a fire!” while a doctor might ask, “How are you feeling today?” This kind of role-play helps children develop social awareness, empathy, and the ability to “code-switch” between different situations.

Outdoor play at the playground

Playgrounds are perfect for physical and social development. Climbing ladders, balancing and swinging all challenge your child’s coordination and vestibular system.

Wood notes that playgrounds also offer valuable opportunities for social skills, like taking turns and negotiating with peers—sometimes it’s a child’s first experience with group play.

Reading books

"One of the best things we can do for our children is read together," suggests Wood. "Reading is a wonderful way to bond with your child and share your favourite books and stories. It can be a predictable and grounding routine for families to return to after a long day apart."

Puzzles and shape sorters

Puzzles and shape sorters help children grasp the concepts of 'same' and 'different' and practice matching objects, explains Wood. The type of puzzle influences the skills they develop. For simpler "drop-in" puzzles, where each piece has a specific spot, children learn to pay attention to the piece's orientation. More complex puzzles require them to find pieces that share a similar image to make a match.

Remember, every child is unique

Vikas Keshri, MSW, RSW, a social worker and counsellor, explains: "For example, some children at three years old will use full sentences, while others may focus on skills like climbing or drawing. This is completely normal and all within typical development."

During this time, parents should avoid comparing their toddler to other children or to a checklist of three-year-old milestones. "Think of child development like flowers in a garden: each blooms at a different time, but all bloom with support and care," says Keshri.

Experts

• Jillian Amodio, LMSW, is a licensed mental health professional.
• Nicole Runyon, LMSW, is a licensed psychotherapist and parent coach.
• Dr. Jennifer Politis, PhD, LPC, ACS, is an educational psychologist.
• Vikas Keshri, MSW, RSW, is a social worker and counsellor.
• Ryann Sutera, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a neurodiversity-affirming speech-language pathologist.
• Jocelyn Wood, MA, CCC, SLP, is a bilingual speech-language pathologist.
• Dr. Dalad Srisuppak, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counsellor.
• Caitlin Sanschagrin, MS, OTR/L, is a licensed pediatric occupational therapist.