The motor development in the third year of life

Movement and Creativity

Games and Activities

In the third year of life your child makes significant progress in motor development, which can be supported through games and activities. Fine motor skills improve through activities like grasping small objects or drawing with colored pencils, while we parents can promote development through games such as sorting shapes or painting with finger paints. Gross motor skills like climbing, hopping, and jumping continue to develop, and playing with balls improves hand-eye coordination. Your child consolidates everyday actions like dressing and undressing, which require fine motor skills and concentration, and we as parents can support them by choosing clothing with large buttons and helping them learn the steps.

Off to the playground!

Your child further develops gross motor skills by using slides at playgrounds to improve movement coordination and overcome fears. Balancing helps control posture and strengthen muscles, while climbing builds self-confidence. Hopping and jumping promote endurance, coordination, and balance. Through these activities your child not only discovers physical abilities but also explores their surroundings in a playful way.

Attention!!!

Now your child also begins to learn more complex movements like throwing and catching balls, which further improve hand-eye coordination and motor skills. WE can support this development by giving our children the opportunity to play with different balls and encouraging them to try various movements. These activities not only promote physical development but also strengthen our children's self-confidence and social skills when they interact and play together.

Be creative

Your little one can continue to develop fine motor skills through activities like crafting, assembling puzzles, and painting with different materials such as brushes, sponges, or fingers. These creative activities not only foster fine motor skills but also cognitive development and stimulate the imagination. As parents we should encourage our children to explore different materials and implement their own creative ideas to further improve their motor skills in a playful way.

Three play ideas that promote motor development in children from 3 years old

1. Obstacle course:

Set up an obstacle course indoors or outdoors that requires various motor skills like climbing, balancing, jumping, and crawling. Use cushions for hopping, chairs to crawl under, a rope for balancing, and other items your child must overcome. This game promotes children's gross motor skills, coordination, and endurance in a playful way.

2. Colored circles:

Draw different colored circles on the ground with chalk or place colored paper circles on the floor. Then give your child instructions like "Jump on the red circle" or "Crawl to the blue circle." Through this game they can practice color recognition, improve gross motor skills, and train their responsiveness.

3. Dance party:

Organize a dance party and let the children dance to their favorite music. They can jump around, spin, clap, and move to the rhythm. Dancing promotes children's gross motor skills, coordination, and endurance while being lots of fun. You can also include different dance games like imitating animals or dancing to specific movement instructions to keep the activity varied.

Overall, the third year of life is another exciting milestone in your child's motor development. Through targeted games and activities you can promote your child's fine and gross motor skills and support them on their way to a healthy and active lifestyle.