2 - 3 years

Nutrition

First Steps Nutrition produces a useful guide to good food choices and portion sizes for 1-4 year olds.

Vitamins

It’s recommended that your child has vitamin supplements at this age.

The Healthy Start scheme offers free vitamins to eligible families. For more information and to find out if you are eligible, visit the Healthy Start website.

Healthy Start Scheme

The Healthy Start scheme offers food and vitamin vouchers to eligible families. Find out how to make the most of your vouchers

Immunisations and screening tests

Your child is eligible for an annual flu vaccine, usually given as a nasal spray in autumn/ winter.

Development

Your child may be ready to start potty training from around 18 – 30 months.

Your child is due to have a full health and development review at 2-2½ years, this is usually carried out by a health visitor or nursery nurse.

The NHS Birth to Five development timeline outlines the milestones in your child’s development. 

Education and childcare

Some families with two year olds are eligible for up to 15 hours a week term time (or 10-11 hours a week up to 52 weeks of the year) early education and childcare from the term after the child’s 2nd birthday. Find out more about this childcare

Ofsted-registered nurseries, pre-schools and childminders deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Framework. 

If your child attends registered childcare they will have an early years progress review between two and three years of age.

Activity

Children who can walk on their own should be physically active every day for at least 180 minutes (three hours).

This should be spread throughout the day, indoors or outside, and include a variety of different activities.

Children’s centres

Havering’s Children’s Centres offer a variety of services and support to parents and children including infant feeding support, parenting courses and play sessions. These can be good opportunities to socialise with other parents, expand your knowledge and receive advice and support.