At Gymboree, children between the ages of three and five years eagerly explore group activities, refining not only motor skills but also vital thinking, language, communication, and social skills as well. This is also the time when children learn many self-help skills such as dressing and feeding themselves (though not always without a mess!). Their new cognitive ability to categorize and sort helps them understand the similarities and differences between people, which makes this a great time to help them learn about respecting differences and getting along with others.
The best way to promote your child's healthy development at this age is to encourage lots of exploration, stimulating your child's thinking about objects, people, and how the world works. To help your child become a thoughtful person and a life-long learner, ask many questions-and be ready to answer them as well, since kids this age are endlessly curious. To answer children's questions in a way they can understand, first ask what they think the answer might be. That gives you insight into their level of understanding so you can tailor your answers appropriately.
