Three Years Health builders
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A Tasting Party
- Have a tasting party with your child! Choose one food from each of the following food groups. Milk products (things like milk, cheese, yogurt)
- Meats and beans (things like chicken, beef, pork, pinto beans, fish)
- Fruits (apples, bananas, strawberries, grapes)
- Vegetables (lettuce, carrots, corn, broccoli)
- Grains and cereals (rice, bread, cereal, tortillas)
Put a sample of each food onto your child’s plate and talk about each one. For example,
- Milk helps your bones grow strong.
- Meats and beans build muscle.
- Fruits and vegetables have lots of vitamins to keep your hair and skin healthy and help your brain grow.
- Grains give you energy and can fill you up when you are really hungry.
Talk with your child about how the foods taste. Are sweet or salty? Is the texture smooth or rough? What are their colors? Talk about how your body needs food from all of these groups to be healthy and grow strong.
My Teeth
Turn brushing your child’s teeth into a counting game. Tell them you will count to 10 while they brush. Count to 10 for the top edges of their teeth, then count to 10 for the insides of their teeth, and to 10 for the outsides of their teeth.
You can sing a song while your child brushes. See if they can brush the whole time you are singing. Help your child finish brushing to make sure their teeth and gums are clean. Soon they will be able to brush their teeth on their own!
Your three year old should brush their teeth once in the morning and once at night. Make sure your child has a child-size toothbrush. Brushing with water will do the job. They do not need to use toothpaste. If you do use toothpaste, use a pea-sized amount of children’s toothpaste (without fluoride).
Keep Moving
Your growing child’s body needs lots of movement every day. Try dancing, marching, or playing games like “follow the leader” around the house. Go to the park and jump, run, swing, slide, kick a ball and play catch. Your three year old child should not spend more than a half hour sitting in one place at a time. Help them keep moving to stay healthy!
Sweet Sleep
One way to make bedtime easier is to create a routine and do it every day. Make up your bedtime routine to fit your family and your child. You can,
- listen to calm music
- sing together
- read a story
- take a bath
- have a snack
- talk about your child’s day
Most three year olds need between 9 and 11 hours of sleep each day. The 9 to 11 hours can be from naps and night time sleep or just night time sleep.
Some children have nightmares and may need help getting back to sleep. When your child starts toilet training, they may accidentally wet the bed.
Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep so that you have the patience to help your child get the rest they need.
What is That I Hear?
Play a hearing game that will be fun for your child. It will help you know if they are hearing noises around them.
Take a walk in your neighborhood, a park, or a playground. Tell your child you are playing a hearing game. Say,
- I am going to listen for a sound. See if you can guess what it is!
When you hear a sound, give them a clue. For example,
- I hear a sound! Do you hear it? What do you think it is?
- It comes from a car! That is right it is a horn. Beep-beep!
Listen for sounds your child will know. Children playing, a car driving by, an airplane flying overhead, or birds singing. If you are worried that your child is not hearing well, take them to the doctor to check it out.
