The paper analyses development of symbolic reflection in childhood, arguing that contemporary psychology does not sufficiently distinguish the notions "sign" and "symbol", ignoring, as a result, specificity of symbolic mediation as compared to sign mediation. The author suggests that specificity of symbolic mediation is determined by replacement of orientation in activity by orientation in characteristics of the symbol. Symbolic reflection in this context should be treated as a special capacity for symbolic and sign mediation which comes into play in indeterminate situations. In that light symbolic mediation presents itself as a component of creative ability.