30 Things To Do Before You’re 3

toddler in library

While in Scotland over Christmas, my mum left a print-out in our bedroom for us to find (along with cuttings from the local newspaper on people I went to school with and a broadsheet interview with Henry Holland who I used to work with). Taken from Scottish Government website Play Talk Read, it was an amazing list called 30 Things To Do Before You’re 3. I love lists like this. It gives parents ideas of things to do and reassures you that the silly things you do with your toddler are, actually, meaningful and worthwhile…

 

1. Feed the birds

2. Dig out your wellies, jump in a puddle and make a splash!

3. Make a foot/hand print

 

toddlers, sandcastles, beach, Godstone Farm

5. Catch a snowflake

6. Take part in a treasure hunt and collect sticks, stones and leaves

7. Play hide & seek

8. Pull a silly face in the mirror

9. Play peek-a-boo

10. Sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’

11. Build a secret den – throw a sheet over a table or chairs for a new space to play in!

Toddler, fun, PlayDoh, 30 Things To Do Before You're 3

 

13. Get busy in the kitchen– create a clown face with fruit or help dad with some rock cakes

14. Take a trip to the park and go down the slide frontwards and backwards

 

toddler, library, 30 things to do before you're 3

 

16. Pretend you are your favourite superhero

17. Burst-a-Bubble (download the free app from playtalkread.org)

18. Get noisy and make your own drum kit with pots and pans

19. Plant a seed and watch something grow

20. See a creepy crawly up close

21. Visit a castle

22. Climb on an adult for a piggy back/horsey ride

23. Have a laugh in the bath getting playful with soap and suds

24. See how many different animal noises you can make

Toddler drawing, 30 Things To Do Before You're 3

26. Do the hokey cokey

27. Spot a plane in the sky

28. Do the actions to Incy Wincy Spider

29. Spot and chase your own shadow

30. Build a tower and knock it down

 

My two year old has done 17 of these, and we’ve got nine months to tick the remaining 13 off her list before she turns 3. Think we’ll start this weekend by making a den. Do you have a toddler? How many have they done?

 Like this post? Why not pin it to Pinterest….

The ultimate list of activities for under 3s!

Image of sandcastle: Shutterstock

 

 

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24 Comments

  1. January 2, 2013 / 9:26 pm

    Proud parenting moment as I realise my toddler’s done 26 of these things – maybe I’m not such a failure after all! Better start saving now though, as the only way I can see her doing the snowflake one is a holiday somewhere snowy in the next 6 months. Damn.

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      January 2, 2013 / 10:31 pm

      Fantastic!
      Hmm maybe you could make paper snowflakes and throw them in the air to catch? It was actually snowing one day last week when we were in Scotland so we could have ticked that one off the list ourselves then!

  2. January 3, 2013 / 9:48 am

    26 for us, too. But mine is nearly four, so we’re cheating a bit 😉

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      January 3, 2013 / 9:50 am

      Tick off the last four this week and we won’t tell anyone! 😉

  3. Leeanne Andrews
    January 4, 2013 / 8:51 am

    Ahhh my daughter was 3 October just gone and we have done them all! Quite a lot of them more than once! Feeling like more of a fun mummy now! 🙂

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      January 4, 2013 / 9:12 am

      Excellent – and it’s not just being fun, it’s giving them valuable life experiences!

  4. William Carter
    January 4, 2013 / 7:23 pm

    Cute! Our kiddo has about a month to go before she’s 3. If you count that big green dinosaurs are her “super hero” then she’s done most of these. Not all, though! Hard to find snowflakes and castles in Southern California, but we will try this weekend for snow.

  5. January 5, 2013 / 1:24 am

    Well, we’ve done 19 of those — 20 if you count the bouncy castle at the local Canada Day festivities. 🙂 Our daughter will be 3 in February. Looks like we’ll need to plan a treasure hunting expedition, and several other activities as well…

  6. Catherine
    January 5, 2013 / 2:32 am

    I just love this list…my daughter is 3 1/2 and has done many of these things…my 8 month old will have a ball as well! Too bad we can’t have sweet lists like this for each age!!

  7. January 7, 2013 / 5:37 pm

    Just found you through BritMums #MBPW, what a fantastic list! Think we are doing pretty well on 25, and 10 months left to go 🙂 Joys of having an older sibling I think.

  8. January 20, 2013 / 9:54 am

    Ooo We’ve done 28 of these – but Ozzy is about to turn 4!

    I quite like the idea of doing a 38 things to do before I turn 38 now… I better get my thinking cap on!

  9. Mum of One
    May 21, 2013 / 8:30 am

    What a great list! My son is two and a half and I think we still have visit a castle, do the hokey cokey and catch a snowflake to do. Great list. Thanks so much for joining in with the Pin-It Party. Have pinned and followed 🙂 http://pinterest.com/jbmumofone/

  10. Jane Evans
    August 10, 2013 / 1:47 pm

    We only have 6 to do and we aren’t even 2 yet! 🙂

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      August 16, 2013 / 8:44 am

      Woo! Nice one.

  11. September 17, 2013 / 1:48 pm

    What a lovely post! I’m pleased to say my two have done most of these too 🙂

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      September 18, 2013 / 8:16 am

      Hooray. Mum points for you! 🙂

  12. September 17, 2013 / 2:03 pm

    Wow, I can’t believe we have done 28 of these. And to think I worry that I don’t play with my girls enough. Our current FAVOURITE thing is making dens. All the time. That and watching The Sound of Music. Love this list, Alison. Great post x

    • notanothermummyblog
      Author
      September 18, 2013 / 8:15 am

      I love that your kids are obsessed with that movie 🙂

  13. lesley
    April 19, 2014 / 9:15 am

    Thanks for this post we’d done 29 and this gave us the push to get round to visiting carlisle castle yesterday 🙂 my little girl loved it and we got loads of cute photos!

  14. Rebecca
    August 27, 2014 / 7:46 pm

    My son turns 3 in 5wks 3dys and we’ve done all 30! I feel good 🙂

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