This study examines problems related to (1) the development of children's understanding of temporal cycles, and (2) the relationship between cyclic concepts and cognitive development. Piagetian tests of classification and seriation and a variety of specially designed cyclic tasks were administered to 62 children, ranging in age from 4 to 10 years. Results show major progress in the representation of cyclic order and recurrence during the age period examined. The age patterns support the theoretical distinction between the cyclic features of order and recurrence. Children are able to produce a correct order of the elements of a cycle about two years earlier than they are able to distinguish permutations which preserve cyclic order from those which violate it. The ability to produce a correct order is related to seriation performance, but not classification performance, when the variance attributable to age is partialled out. Continuity responses appear to be unrelated to performance on either of the Piagetian tasks tested when age is controlled. (Author/BF)