What characterizes the preoperational stage in Piaget's cognitive development?

The preoperational stage, which spans from approximately ages 2 to 7, is a critical period in Piaget's theory of cognitive development marked by the emergence of symbolic thinking. During this stage, children begin to use language and develop mental representations of objects and events. Engaging in symbolic play is a hallmark of this stage, as children start to represent their experiences and the world around them through symbols, which can include drawings, words, or play acting.

Additionally, children's ability to manipulate symbols allows them to engage in activities like pretending and role-playing, which are crucial for their cognitive and social development. This symbolic capacity enables them to express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings in a more complex way than in earlier stages when their thinking was more concrete.

This engagement in symbolic play contrasts sharply with the inability to perform logical reasoning or apply mathematical operations, which are characteristics of later stages in Piaget's model. Thus, choice C accurately captures the essence of the preoperational stage by highlighting the importance of symbolic representation and imaginative play in children's cognitive development.