Do 3 Year Olds Still Take Naps?

When my son was your age, I found myself in this same situation with nap time. What I found worked best for my son was on the days that I could tell he needs a nap I would lay him down for one. On the days where he seems to be holding up fine then I wouldn't put him down for one. What I found was that on the days he didn't take a nap, he would be ready for bed a little earlier then usual and eventually on the days where he would nap, he would have a hard time going to bed at night. Eventually we worked our way out of napes completly however I before we got to that point, I would play it by ear. For the days that he may not seem especially ready for a nap but maybe you need a break, then lay him down for a nap but give him another option as well. Tell him that it's nap time and that if he isn't tired then he can lay there quietly and read a book or color a picture but that this is quiet time now and if he's going to color or work on a puzzle that he needs to do it quietly and that he needs to stay in bed until nap time is over.
My son is 6 1/2 now and every now and then he will need a nap on the weekend, so this is always an option for them. If you take away the nap as a rule or as a part of your set routine and leave it open as an option if necessary then your son will still reep the rewards of getting a little rest on the days he needs it and on the days you need the break you can call it quiet time, where he can do a select few activities quietly rather then taking a nap.

Good Luck with this!

My kids napped until they went to kindergarten. And they get about 10 or 11 hours of sleep at night. I know that's not the norm... I'll bet most of your responses say their kids stopped napping a lot sooner... but my son, especially, seemed to need it. I'd keep doing what you're doing... at least he's getting some down time and so are you. I still institute a rest time on the weekends sometimes for my 5 and 7 year olds. My five year old will still fall asleep much of the time.

My daughter is also almost 3. Sometimes she naps, sometimes not. I really don't push it anymore unless she's really cranky. When my son was 3 he would only nap at preschool.
As long as your son is willing to play quietly in his room during "nap" time I would go with it. He will probably fall asleep if his body really needs it..

I think it really just depends on your child. My son still took naps every day at 3 years old, but friends of mine said their kids didn't. My son is almost 4 1/2 now and it is only the last few weeks that I think he might be done with naps. He is extremely active and always outside, which definitely tires him out. At 3 years, he always took a nap. Kids also go through phases - I find that my kids eat more and take long naps when going through a growth phase. Just follow your mommy instincts on what your individual son needs - I am a big fan of my kids taking naps since I always enjoy them that much more when they are rested and happy!