Children begin to use symbols – whether images, sounds, or speech – as a means of expressing their thoughts and feelings before they have fully mastered executive functions. The development of symbolic functions is the most important stage of cognitive development, allowing children to imagine reality, perceive ideas and situations symbolically and plan future actions in a simplified form. This lays the foundation for the development of more complex skills, such as logical thinking and problem solving. The concept emphasizes the role of symbolic play and expressive activities (drawing, model-building, and creative modeling) in developing children’s ability to think ahead, plan and explore the relationships between different elements. Through these activities, children learn to structure ideas, experiment with different scenarios, and develop personal strategies for solving complex problems, which prepares them to use executive functions more effectively in the future. This concept allows specialists and educators to develop educational and therapeutic environments that stimulate the early development of symbolic functions, taking into account the individual characteristics of each child, which contributes to gradual and balanced cognitive development.