In which of Piaget’s stages do children start using symbols in their play?

Children begin using symbols in their play during the preoperational stage, which is characterized by the development of memory and imagination. This stage typically occurs between the ages of 2 and 7 years. During this time, children start to engage in symbolic play, where they can represent objects and ideas with symbols, such as using a stick as a sword or pretending a box is a car. This advancement in their cognitive development allows them to think about things that are not present and to use language in a more imaginative and creative way.

The ability to use symbols is also essential for further language development and understanding of concepts, paving the way for more complex thought processes in later stages. The other stages of Piaget's theory, such as sensorimotor, concrete operational, and formal operational, focus on different aspects of cognitive development, either preceding the emergence of symbolic play or occurring after it, where different cognitive skills and reasoning abilities are developed.