At what age range does Piaget believe children develop symbolic thought?

Piaget posits that children develop symbolic thought during the preoperational stage, which spans from approximately 2 to 7 years of age. During this developmental phase, children begin to engage in imaginative play and use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects and experiences. This ability to use symbols is crucial for language development and facilitates a deeper understanding of the world around them. Children in this stage exhibit egocentrism, meaning they struggle to see things from perspectives other than their own, but they also start to engage in role-playing and can think about things that are not immediately present. This foundational stage lays the groundwork for more complex cognitive processes that emerge in later stages of development.