Did I visit the polar bear before the giraffe? Examining memory for temporal order and the temporal distance effect in early to middle childhood

Summary Memory for the temporal order of past events is a critical capacity; however, relatively little known about its development and processes that support it in early to middle childhood. The aim this study was examine children's memory real‐world events. Four–five‐year‐old ( n = 36), 6–7‐year‐old 45) 8–10‐year‐old 46) children participated week‐long camp at local zoo, which involved engaging activities visits animals each day. On last day camp, we tested pairs visited. elapsed time (lag) between event manipulated test whether accuracy would show distance effect give us insights into supporting memory. We found 8–10‐year‐olds, but not younger groups, showed effect. Implications our understanding cognitive are discussed.