Beyond literal depiction: Children’s flexible understanding of pictures

•Drawings can represent both Literal and Non-Literal referents.•Six-year-olds provide literal and non-literal labels for the same picture, showing flexibility.•Six-year-olds endorse non-literal meanings when these are triggered first.•Four-year-olds were rigid in their literal interpretations when verbally questioned.•When a game format was used, both age groups showed representational flexibility.