2-3 years

Child from 2 to 3 years

Do you know the period in which the child constantly asks the questions “Who?”, “What?” “Where?”. Or the parts of the day when you constantly hear the answer “NO” to your question? Yes, this is this period!
A child from 2 to 3 years of age eats with a spoon alone and begins to use a fork. He washes his hands himself and uses the toilet with the help of an adult while controlling the need throughout the day. He likes to help perform simple housework. As an adult who encourages your child’s development, you should encourage your child to play independently.
Support your child each time he or she successfully expresses a needs. Don’t use it for occasional accidents, they are part of the habit.
When doing your homework, get your child involved in simple tasks, help with storing, dusting, vacuuming …
He loves being close to his mother, but he loves his independence. He uses emotional outbursts to express emotions, to achieve what he wants or to express anger and frustration. In this period a kid has moods that change quickly.

Physical development (large and fine motor skills)

 

Typical physical development:

  •  Climbing up and down the stairs step by step.
  • Runs steadily and quickly.
  •  Jumping on both feet.
  •  Can clap hands and kick a ball.
  •  He throws the ball with his hands above his head.
  •  Writes and copies lines and circles.
  •  Watercolor painting.
  •  He knows that he puts the rings on the stick properly, in size.
  •  Can handle small objects, but cannot button or zip clothing or care for himself or herself in other ways.

 

Encourage children’s development:

  •  Help your child name each puzzle when the child chooses it and puts it in the proper place; play simple puzzles with shapes, colors, animals;
  •  Ask for help by opening / close the door/drawer, or flip through newspaper pages.
  •  When he is already walking steadily, look for help with carrying small items, tidying up toys, etc.
  •  Take him to the park or nature to climb, run, walk…
  •  Play throwing and kicking the ball.
  •  Play dice, build towers and tear them down with your child.
  •  Give your child a watercolor painting.
The child eats alone, Freepik
The child eats alone, Freepik

Speech development/communication

 

Typical physical development:

  •  Uses personal pronoun “I”.
  •  Answers simple questions, such as, “What’s your name?”
  •  Has a functional vocabulary of up to 200, 300 words.
  •  He names objects and animals he looks at in pictures (dog, cat, bear, car …) and understands the simple situations associated with them.
  •  Says “no” often, even when he or she does not mean it.
  •  He constantly asks the questions: “Who?”, “What?” etc

 

Encourage children’s development:

  •  Teach your child to sing songs, numbers, breakers …
  •  As you look and read books together, let him name what he sees.
  •  When naming items, add epithets: blue honey, red flower, small house, big car.
  •  Encourage your child to sing songs, encourage performance, confidence.
  •  Encourage your child to express what they remember from their favorite story, or to just tell it.
  •  Be patient and always try to answer your child’s question and / or explanation.

Cognitive development

 

Typical physical development:

  •  He loves role-playing
  •  Shows interest in picture books
  •  Matches colors (knows how to show objects that are the same color).
  •  Follows two consecutive verbal requests (eg: “Pick up your shoes and put them in the closet!”)

 

Encourage children’s development:

  •  Play hide and seek games.
  •  Sort items and toys by size, introduce your child to the concept of smaller – bigger.
  •  Play color and shape matching
  •  Do not do things for the child, he is so lost in interest in the activity and creates the experience that he is not capable enough to do it alone.

 

Friendship
Friendship

Socio-emotional development

 

Typical physical development:

  •  Initiates the game, but he / she needs supervision and assistance.
  •  Develops a complex game and involves others in it.
  •  Shows concern / empathy when someone close to him cries.
  •  He often accompanies the game with speech.
  •  He gets anger attacks when someone restrains him.

 

Encourage children’s development:

  •  Motivate your child to play complex games using imagination; you can make a tent under the table, play a role play.
  •  Draw drawings and objects together, using colors, tempers, felt-tip pens, paper, expose them in visible places in the house, show that you are proud of his / her work.
  •  The request that the child do or not do something should be accompanied by an explanation; the child needs to know why he or she is expected to behave in a particular situation in a certain way

Self-help / self-care

 

Typical physical development:

  • Dresses and strips independently.
  • He buttoned a big button.
  • Uses a spoon, fork, and napkin when eating.
  • Washing and wiping his hands on his own.
  • In words, he expresses the need to go to the toilet.
  • Knows to twist/unscrew plug/lid on objects.

 

Encourage children’s development:

  • Encourage your child to brush and brush their hands independently, to brush their teeth, to use cutlery.
  • Teach your child to pick up toys, clean their room.

 

Source:

The importance of play, Dr David Whitebread

Play and Child Development, JOE L. FROST, SUE C. WORTHAM, STUART REIFEL

Learning through play, UNICEF-Lego Foundation University of Nebraska, Lincoln