Final answer:
Jean Piaget's preoperational period spans from 2 to 7 years of age, characterized by symbolic thinking and the inability to understand the conservation of quantity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Jean Piaget's preoperational period extends from 2 to 7 years of age. This stage in cognitive development is marked by the emergence of symbolic thinking, allowing children to engage in pretend play and use language. However, they are unable to perform mental operations such as understanding conservation, a concept that something remains the same in quantity even if its appearance changes. A classic example of this is when a child believes they have more of something (like pizza) when it is divided into more pieces, not understanding that the quantity is actually the same.