Last updated: December 3, 2024

Your preschooler will grow and develop at a different pace than their peers or siblings. There are some typical behaviors that you may see as they reach new milestones.

Learn how preschoolers experience physical and emotional development:

• Emotional development ages 2 to 5 years
• Milestones for 4-year-olds      
• Milestones for 5-year-olds
• Your child’s feelings (HealthLinkBC File #92c)

Play is an important part of a child’s development. Play teaches children how to interact with siblings, other children and caregivers. Allowing time for play helps children learn to use their imagination and develop motor and social skills. Learn ways you can set up activities and create time and space for children to play.

• How to teach your child by example
• Your child and play from birth to 3 years (HealthLinkBC File #92a)

Speech and language skills develop during the first few years of life. As your preschooler grows you may worry about your child’s speech and language development. Learn about what you can expect at different stages and which signs to watch for that could mean your child should see a health care provider.

• Encouraging language development in your preschooler
• How reading helps language development
• Speech and language delays: Common misconceptions
• Speech and language development
• Speech and language development: Red flags
• Speech and language milestones, Ages 3 to 5 years
• Speech problems: Normal disfluency
• Stuttering
• Thumb-sucking