Learn more about what to expect for 2-year-old milestones and 3-year-old milestones.
For kids ages 2 and 3, it’s all about play! After conquering those milestones of toddler development, by ages 2 to3 kids become increasingly independent and are able to engage in play activities for longer periods of time without needing so much guidance.
And when they are playing, they are learning! The learning is happening not only in their minds, but also in their bodies. Coordination, balance, and motor planning skills are improving and each new skill they learn is the foundation for the next, more complicated skill.
2-Year-Old and 3-Year-Old Milestones: Gross Motor Skills
Between the ages of 2 and 3, your child is beginning to jump! One day, you’ll see her do it for the first time and after that, you will see it over and over and over again! Once kids start to jump, they don’t want to stop. Your child may be able to jump down from the bottom step or jump forward a few inches on the floor. She may have enough body control to understand what happens when she jumps on a trampoline — BIG TIME FUN!
Balance at this age improves to the point of being able to stand on one foot for a few seconds. Your child may be able to pedal a tricycle, gallop like a horse, and throw a ball in the direction of a target. On a set of stairs, your child will be more aware of her safety and will be able to go up and down, holding onto a rail and placing both feet (or maybe even one foot!) on each stair.
2-Year-Old and 3-Year-Old Milestones: Fine Motor Skills
During this age range, fine motor skills are taking off too! Your child can build towers out of blocks and can string beads to make a beautiful necklace. She may have enough control over her crayon that she can draw simple shapes and lines, even beginning to imitate lines that you draw on a piece of paper. With a little help, your child may even begin to snip paper with scissors while you do a simple craft or art project. She may also learn to start pushing the scissors forward across the paper as she cuts.
All kids develop at their own pace and these skills are just a general representation of the “norm”. But at this age, you’ll want to start paying attention to things like W-Sitting, Toe Walking, and any other sensory processing concerns.
Want to learn more about what skills your child will develop next? Check out this info about preschool milestones! Learn about all of the developmental milestones for kids ages birth to 5.
Gross Motor Skills Activities for 2 and 3-Year-Olds
These gross motor skills activities are the perfect way to keep 2 and 3-year-olds entertained while also building important skills like balance and coordination.
Fine Motor Skills Activities for 2 and 3-Year-Olds
These fine motor skills activities are great for helping 2 and 3-year-olds develop hand strength, coordination, and in-hand manipulation skills.
Sensory Ideas for 2 and 3-Year-Olds
Whether they’re moving, listening, touching, smelling – or doing all of these at the same time – kids learn and grow best when they have lots of opportunities to interact with their surroundings using their sensory systems.
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Totally not your fault. Your article showed up on pinter est and I just burst into tears reading it. My youngest is 2 and I’m watching her fail in the gross motor skills category. She “bounces” on a trampoline (her feet never leave the surface), she doesn’t jump with both feet (she places one foot firmly on the ground before moving her second foot), she jumps with both feet on a flat surface once or twice and then stops completely. She has a mild case of tibial torsion (her lower leg bones are twisted inward at a slight angle) with asymmetrical weakness on the left side (her left leg muscles are weaker than her right leg). She gets her brace next week to help stop her falling. And sometimes it’s just hard, I can’t imagine how parents whose children are worse can handle it.
My son will be 4 years old at the end of next month. He shows no interest whatsoever in pedaling a tricycle or big wheel. He has a balance bike but I think he is too big for it now. He is timid and very large for his age. He is 47″ tall and weighs 47 pounds. Any suggestions to get him pedaling?
Hi Jessica!
Thanks for your comment and question. Here’s a post we have about learning to ride a bike that might be helpful for your son!
Hi mam
My daughter is 1year 8months.she behaves so aggressively when I take her out.she screams too much.inside the house she is happy and comfortable. Need Ur guidance
Hi Ma’am,
I need your guidance for my little girl aged 3years and 5 months. She behaves quite well at home and is quite friendly, cooperative and loving with her cousins but behaves very odd when outside. I can understand, it’s quite natural as most of her activities are indoors. While she’s taken outside, she is holding my hand all the time and enjoys no swings and rides.
the awsome post… informative