Activities for a 36-Month-Old (3 years)

Featured activities for a 36-month-old

One activity from each domain, chosen for 3 years: no activity band starts at exactly 36 months, so the picks favor bands that opened most recently and 43 reach the end of their band. Other months feature different activities.

Why these fit at 36 months

• Spoon, Sponge or Colander?

  Your child tries to move water into a muffin tin with a spoon, a sponge and a colander, and discovers which tools carry water and which do not. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 28-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "full" while you play; if it is too hard, offer only the spoon and the colander, one that works and one that does not.

• Bedtime Day Recap

  At bedtime, hold one keepsake from the day, such as a big leaf, and take turns telling what happened, building back-and-forth conversation and memory talk. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 28-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "Remember?" while you play; if it is too hard, tell the short story yourself while your child holds the keepsake, pausing once for a sound or word.

• Kick It Back to Me

  You and your child stand a few steps apart and kick a big soft ball back and forth, taking turns and stopping a ball that comes toward them. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 22-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "my turn" while you play; if it is too hard, sit facing each other and roll the ball instead of kicking, then try one kick at the end.

• Clothespin Clip on an Egg Carton

  Your child squeezes spring clothespins open and clips them onto the edges of an egg carton, building pinch strength and finger control. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 26-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "squeeze" while you play; if it is too hard, clip the clothespins on yourself and let your child pull them off the carton edge.

• Slow Bubble Breathing

  Your child practices long, slow breaths by blowing gently through a bubble wand, a playful way to learn one calming action before feelings get big. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 30-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "slow" while you play; if it is too hard, blow the bubbles yourself and let your child copy only the slow breath out, without the wand.

• Washcloth Fold and Stack

  Your child folds square washcloths in half by matching corners and stacks them, helping with laundry while hearing words like corner, half and on top. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 26-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "corner" while you play; if it is too hard, fold the cloth halfway yourself and let your child do the final press flat.

• Crayon Leaf Rubbings

  Leaves from a walk go under a sheet of paper and your child rubs over them with the side of a jumbo crayon until the veins and edges appear. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 24-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "leaf" while you play; if it is too hard, use one big leaf and rub half yourself so your child only finishes the reveal.

• Ice Tray Spoonful Count

  Your toddler spoons water into the pockets of an empty ice cube tray set on a baking sheet, and you count the pockets together as they fill. Why now: 36 months is the last month of its 26-36-month band, so reach for the harder versions. Model "one" while you play; if it is too hard, let your child pour straight from the measuring cup into the pockets instead of using a spoon.

Activities for a 36-month-old by domain

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

No-prep menu for a 36-month-old

On a chaotic day pick any two. 9 of the 43 activities that fit at 36 months need nothing set up and last 10 minutes or less; here are 6.

• Washcloth Fold and Stack (5-10 min, indoors): materials: 4-6 clean washcloths or small towels and the laundry basket they came out of; it practices household helping.
• 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.
• 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.
• Coat Flip on the Floor (3-8 min, indoors): materials: your child's open-front coat or jacket; it practices helping with dressing.
• Slow-Motion Animal Walk (3-8 min, indoors): no materials needed; it practices balancing.

Milestones at 36 months

36 months is a CDC checklist age: the 36-month checklist (12 paraphrased milestones) describes what most children (75% or more) do by now. It is the last CDC checklist this site covers; four items to watch in daily play:

• Copies a circle on paper after watching you draw one.
• Spots other children playing and goes over to join them.
• Keeps away from hot things, like a stove, when you warn them.
• Settles within about 10 minutes after you leave, for example at a childcare drop-off.

Indoor and outdoor play at 36 months

A 7-day sample week for a 36-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 36 months

More for 36 months