Active play for the three year old (1061)

The three-year-old loves to listen to stories. Set aside a time each day when you and your child can relax and read together. Read with enthusiasm, changing your voice to show different feelings. Stop and talk about the pictures. Ask and answer questions.

Add information that will help your child understand the story. Ask him to join in when a book has rhymes and repeated words. Give him an opportunity to look at books on his own.

Fine motor skills are developing by age three, and children this age enjoy scribbling with crayons and washable markers. Look around the house for items your child can use for writing and drawing. Any kind of paper, including brown bags, can be used. Put the drawing materials in a box on a low shelf so that the child can reach them without help. Set up a place for writing in the room where your family spends the most time. Second-hand child-size furniture can often be found at thrift shops or yard sales.

The three-year-old enjoys playing with balls of all sizes and building with blocks. She needs daily outdoor play to help develop large motor skills and run off excess energy. She enjoys riding toys, so make sure she has a safe area to ride, away from cars and other obstacles.

Other activities that encourage the development of small motor skills include lacing boards, puzzles, and painting. Blunt scissors can be used at this age as well as non-toxic glue. The three-year-old usually enjoys helping with clean-up.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

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