A nurse is collecting data from the mother of a toddler. Which of the following activities should the nurse expect the toddler to be able to perform?

Toddlers, defined as children between 1 and 3 years of age, are developing gross and fine motor skills that are appropriate to their stage. Riding a tricycle is a skill typically achieved around age 3, which falls within the toddler period, making it the correct expectation for this age group. The task requires balance and coordination that a toddler can reasonably accomplish by the end of this developmental window. Using scissors to cut out a picture is a fine motor skill typically not mastered until the preschool years, around ages 4 to 5. Jumping rope is a complex gross motor activity requiring coordination and timing that is not usually achieved until school age, around 6 to 7 years. Printing letters and numbers is a cognitive and fine motor task associated with preschool and early school-age children, typically emerging between ages 4 and 6. When assessing toddler development, the nurse should match expected milestones to the specific age range of 1 to 3 years. Activities that require advanced coordination, fine motor precision, or abstract cognitive skills are not appropriate expectations for this developmental stage. Recognizing age-appropriate milestones helps the nurse identify normal development versus potential developmental delays that may require further evaluation or referral.