Activities for a 35-Month-Old (2 years 11 months)

Featured activities for a 35-month-old

One activity from each domain, chosen for 2 years 11 months: no activity band starts at exactly 35 months, so the picks favor bands that opened most recently and 1 reach the end of their band. Other months feature different activities.

Why these fit at 35 months

• Tissue Box Mystery Feel

  Your child reaches into a tissue box without looking and finds the object you name by touch alone, then checks it against a matching twin. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (30-36 months). Model "soft" while you play; if it is too hard, put just one object in the box, so any pull is a find.

• Toy Car Trip Story

  Lay a painter's-tape road across the floor and drive toy cars to pretend places, chatting about where each car is going and taking turns telling the trip. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (30-36 months). Model "Where are you going?" while you play; if it is too hard, keep one stop on the road and tell the trip yourself, pausing for your child to say "go" or "stop".

• Slow-Motion Animal Walk

  As a wind-down before a nap, bath or bed, the child copies slow animal walks such as a tiptoeing cat, a heavy elephant and a still flamingo, practicing balance and calm body control. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (26-36 months). Model "slow" while you play; if it is too hard, do only the tiptoe cat, holding their hand.

• Paper-Page Picture Book Turns

  Reading a picture book with thin paper pages, your child turns one page at a time when you pause, joining the story as an active partner. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (26-36 months). Model "next page" while you play; if it is too hard, lift the corner of each page slightly so your child only has to pull it over.

• Cozy Cushion Calm Corner

  You set up a corner with cushions, a blanket, a book and a stuffed animal, then sit there together when feelings run high, building calming with help. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (24-36 months). Model "cozy corner" while you play; if it is too hard, skip the corner and simply sit on the floor with your child and their stuffed animal when they are upset.

• Sock Hang-Up on the Basket

  On laundry day, your child clips matching pairs of clean socks to the rim of the laundry basket with clothespins, like hanging washing to dry. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (26-36 months). Model "pair" while you play; if it is too hard, clip the pairs on yourself and let your child unclip them and drop them into the basket.

• Dough Birthday Cake Party

  Your child shapes a play dough cake, adds dough-snake candles, sings, blows them out and shares slices with toys, acting out a familiar celebration in order. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (25-36 months). Model "birthday" while you play; if it is too hard, make the cake together and skip the candles: sing, blow and share.

• Color Parking Lot for Cars

  Two colored sheets taped to the floor become parking lots, and your toddler parks each toy car on the sheet that matches its color. Why now: 35 months sits mid-band (26-36 months). Model "red" while you play; if it is too hard, use one sheet and cars of only that color, plus one very different car that parks 'at home'.

Activities for a 35-month-old by domain

Counted by each activity's main domain: 7 fine motor, 7 gross motor, 7 practical life, 6 early concepts, 5 pretend and creative, 4 cognitive, 4 language and 4 social-emotional.

No-prep menu for a 35-month-old

On a chaotic day pick any two. 9 of the 44 activities that fit at 35 months need nothing set up and last 10 minutes or less; here are 6.

• Kick It Back to Me (5-10 min, outdoors): materials: a large, light soft ball; it practices kicking a ball.
• Paper-Page Picture Book Turns (5-10 min, indoors): materials: a picture book with paper pages; it practices turning pages.
• Clothespin Count on the Bucket (5-10 min, indoors or out): materials: 5 large spring clothespins and a sturdy plastic bucket; it practices squeezing and rolling.
• Bubble Jar Twist and Blow (5-10 min, indoors or out): materials: a small bottle of bubble liquid with a screw lid and wand and a towel for drips; it practices twisting lids and knobs.
• Sock Hang-Up on the Basket (5-10 min, indoors): materials: six to eight clean socks in pairs and four large spring clothespins; it practices household helping.
• Slow-Motion Animal Walk (3-8 min, indoors): no materials needed; it practices balancing.

What is emerging at 35 months

Between checklist ages CDC uses the earlier one, so at 35 months the 30-month checklist (15 milestones) still applies, 5 months after it. The next checklist comes at 36 months, 1 month away; 4 of its items, each with a matching activity:

• Settles within about 10 minutes after you leave, for example at a childcare drop-off. At 35 months you can practice it with Slow Bubble Breathing (3-6 min).
• Spots other children playing and goes over to join them. At 35 months you can practice it with Tape Parking Lot for Two (10-15 min).
• Eats with a fork. At 35 months you can practice it with Fork or Spoon? Dinner Choice (5-15 min).
• Tells you what is happening in a picture or book when asked, such as "eating" or "running". At 35 months you can practice it with Tissue Box Mystery Feel (5-10 min).

Indoor and outdoor play at 35 months

A 7-day sample week for a 35-month-old

Two short focus activities a day, rotating domains the way our evidence-based program does, plus one practical-life moment and a few words to model. Everything else is free play, meals, outdoor time, books and sleep.

After 35 months

More for 35 months