how to challenge kids???

[Valerie1979]

My 3 year old goes to daycare. 
We are starting to think that he is "bored" -- they do lots of things there but they don't seem to be teaching him NEW things... and now he is the oldest kid in his class and I don't feel they are challenging him.

We make him practice reading/writing at home (for what capacity a 3 year old has at this) and we encourage him to learn new things... but what else can we do to challenge him?  what is age appropriate?

[cherrington17]

give him something you don't care about, and let him take it apart.  If hes interested, it'll challenge his puzzle solving skills, and start developing an engineering brain... which benefits the future.

[SweetBee2010]

Three year old boys are at a great exploratory age. They love playing and they love toys. Sounds like he maybe needs a new toy or game to play.. something like a child-sized outdoor toy or ride on toy unless he already has one.

[Valerie1979]

Three year old boys are at a great exploratory age. They love playing and they love toys. Sounds like he maybe needs a new toy or game to play.. something like a child-sized outdoor toy or ride on toy unless he already has one.

he has a lot of things and we build new things with his toys all the time.
we create "roads" and we line up cars and "practice driving" (that's what he calls it).
We have lots of toys including puzzles and books.  He knows all his colors, shapes and letters of the alphabet - he can recognize them all.

[Graeth]

This was done back in the early 1900's. Talk to him about a variety of different adult subject; like read him the news paper. If he shows interest in the subject, explore it with him further.
The kid turned out to be a super genius.

[kapeh12]

If he knows his colors, alphabet and shapes - what about numbers?  If he knows numbers, maybe start some simple math, like addition, maybe by using his toys.  I recall my mom said I was starting to do first grade math when I was 4 (was clearly a subject I much enjoyed...and still do... )

Perhaps ask him to explore how things around him work - how does his toy move or what makes it move/operate, what do insects do - just random walking or do they have a purpose, etc.

[lejit777]

Get a SNES and get Mario Fun with Numbers...And fun with Letters...hahaha... But all my life i have found video games very interesting and exciting...even helped my problem solving skills and imagination...who knows... i am majoring in Bio-Molecular Engineering ><.

[cherrington17]

start teaching him a foreign language...  even if he doesn't know english much yet.  kids are sponges!

[briannajeanxo]

this happened with my nephew, then he started breaking things and tries putting it back together.

[Valerie1979]

thanks... we are working on some math -- i think this is a good idea
he speaks spanish pretty well.
his vocabulary is FABULOUS -- we do talk to him like an adult and have ever since he was born.... just because he was the only little one in the house so he got in on our conversations a lot.

i don't have many things I would allow him to tear apart -- but I may try this.
I like the newspaper idea! 

[imac887]

As a child, my father read to me endlessly. He read to me the first day I was home from the hospital after birth. So read read read with your child, and once he can read, have him read to you! Reading is one of the best things the mind can have, for all ages!