Most of us remember when we were children and all of the fantastic stories that our parents told us, but what about riddles for kids?
It’s becoming a bit less common these days, but riddles for kids, also known as brain teasers, are a great way to help your kids get interested in thinking things through in a fun way, and in so doing improve their problem-solving skills.
I don’t mean doing some hard trigonometry-level riddles now, just something simple that’s going to get classified as something like a dad-joke or a silly bit of wordplay.
It’s something that’s easy to incorporate into your everyday interaction with your little ones that’ll help them refine their critical thinking, as well as creative thinking and ingenuity, while also providing a laugh or moment of awe.
Even something as simple as a knock-knock joke can work wonders in getting your kids minds involved.
And if they end up enjoying all of the riddles you throw at them, why not make a family game night out of it!
But, surely there’d eventually be a problem where you run out of good riddles to tell, right? Well, that’s why I’ve got you covered here.
I’ve gone scoured through the web to find a solid collection of clever and funny riddles for kids that your little ones are bound to love wracking their brains over.
Fun Riddles For Kids (With Answers)
1. Suproliglicatiouspenuvaliancia – how do you spell it?
I-T (it).
2. Mr. Blue lives in the blue house, Mr. Pink lives in the pink house, and Mr. Brown lives in the brown house. Who lives in the white house?
The President.
3. What type of cheese is made backwards?
Edam.
4. Have you heard about the restaurant on the moon?
Great food, but no atmosphere.
5. They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?
Stars.
6. If a red house is made of red bricks, and a yellow house is made of yellow bricks, what is a greenhouse made of?
Glass. All greenhouses are made of glass.
7. Why did the boy bury his flashlight?
Because the batteries died.
8. A lawyer, a plumber, and a hat maker were walking down the street. Who had the biggest hat?
The one with the biggest head.
9. How many letters are there in the English alphabet?
There are 18: 3 in the, 7 in English, and 8 in the alphabet.
10. What is the last thing you take off before bed?
Your feet off the floor.
11. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
A towel.
12. What are two things you cannot have for breakfast?
Lunch and dinner.
13. What has four legs, but can’t walk?
A table.
14. What goes through towns and over hills but never moves?
A road.
15. What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in one thousand years?
The letter M.
16. Why isn’t your nose twelve inches long?
Because then it would be a foot.
17. What has to be broken before you can use it?
An egg.
18. Which weighs more, a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
Neither, they both weigh one pound!
19. Why do lions eat raw meat?
Because they never learned to cook.
20. A monkey, a squirrel, and a bird are racing to the top of a coconut tree. Who will get the banana first, the monkey, the squirrel, or the bird?
None of them, because you cannot get a banana from a coconut tree!
21. What invention lets you look right through a wall?
A window.
22. What word begins and ends with an E but only has one letter?
Envelope.
23. What is the longest word in the dictionary?
Smiles, because there is a mile between each “s.”
24. If an electric train is travelling south, which way is the smoke going?
There is no smoke; it is an electric train!
25. Where does Friday come before Thursday?
In the dictionary.
26. Which month has 28 days?
All of them, of course.
27. You draw a line. Without touching it, how do you make the line longer?
You draw a shorter line next to it, and then it becomes the longer line.
28. What do you call a funny book about eggs?
Yolk book.
29. What did one potato chip say to the other?
Shall we go for a dip?
30. What is next in this sequence? JFMAMJJASON . . .
The letter “D” for December. The sequence contains the first letter of each month.
31. How many letters are there in the alphabet?
Eleven: T-h-e A-l-p-h-a-b-e-t
32. Why would a man living in New York not be buried in Chicago?
Because he is still living.
33. What do you call a fairy that has not taken a bath?
Stinker Bell.
34. What do you call a man who does not have all his fingers on one hand?
Normal – You have fingers on both hands!
35. What kind of cup can’t hold water?
A cupcake.
36. Why did Mickey Mouse become an astronaut?
He wanted to visit Pluto.
37. Why do bees hum?
Because they don’t know the words.
38. If you threw a white stone into the Red Sea, what would it become?
Wet.
39. What did the outlaw get when he stole a calendar?
Twelve months.
40. What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?
Silence.
41. Which football player wears the biggest helmet?
The one with the biggest head.
42. What is the center of gravity?
The letter V.
43. If two is company and three is a crowd, what are four and five?
Nine.
44. Jack rode into town on Friday and rode out two days later on Friday. How can that be possible?
Friday is his horse’s name.
45. What has many rings, but no fingers?
A telephone.
46. Three men were in a boat. It capsized, but only two got their hair wet. Why?
One was bald.
47. What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Short.
48. Bobby throws a ball as hard as he can. It comes back to him, even though nothing and nobody touches it. How?
He throws it straight up.
49. What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has thousands of letters?
The post office.
50. What did the chewing gum say to the shoe?
I am stuck on you.
51. Why was the belt arrested?
For holding up the pants.
52. What goes up but never goes down?
Your age.
53. What has a neck but no head?
A bottle.
54. Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
Incorrectly.
55. What is black, white, and pink all over?
An embarrassed zebra.
56. Name three days consecutively where none of the seven days of the week appear.
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.
57. What begins with T ends with T and has T in it?
A teapot.
58. Why is an island like the letter T?
Because it is in the middle of water.
59. When is a car not a car?
When it turns into a parking lot.
60. What is the best thing to do if a bull charges you?
Pay the bull.
61. Why can’t you play basketball with pigs?
Because they hog the ball.
62. How many seconds are there in a year?
Twelve – January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd, April 2nd…
63. What is the difference between a jeweler and a jailer?
A jeweler sells watches. A jailer watches cells.
64. How do you make the number one disappear?
Add the letter G and it’s “gone.”
65. How can a pants pocket be empty and still have something in it?
It can have a hole in it.
66. What is something you will never see again?
Yesterday.
67. Why did the bumble bee put honey under his pillow?
He wanted to have sweet dreams.
68. Who is the fastest runner in the whole world?
Adam. Because he was the first in the human race.
69. Mary’s father has five daughters – Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the fifth daughter’s name?
If you answered Nunu, you’re wrong. It’s Mary!
70. What is the best cure for dandruff?
Baldness.
Hard Riddles For Kids
It’s not always fun to just give your kids easy riddles, they’ll get bored of them rather quickly. To keep things interesting, you have to challenge them with a real brain twister from time to time.
That’s why I’m providing you with a handful of some extra spicy ones:
1. Why is the sun so bright?
Because it pays attention in the class and does its homework on time.
2. Tuesday, Sam, and Peter went to a restaurant to eat lunch. After eating lunch, they paid the bill. But Sam and Peter did not pay the bill, so who did?
Their friend, Tuesday.
3. A cloud is my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I am the torment of man. Who am I?
Rain.
4. As I went across the bridge, I met a man with a load of wood that was neither straight nor crooked. What kind of wood was it?
Sawdust.
5. What has 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon, and 3 legs at night?
A person! As a baby you crawl (4 legs), as an adult you walk (2 legs), then when you are older you use a cane (3 legs).
6. What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?
Your name.
7. The first man is the master of priceless gems; the second man is the master of love; the third man is the master of shovels; the fourth man is the master of big sticks. Who are they?
The kings in a deck of cards.
8. I am taken from a mine and shut up in a wooden case, from which I am never released, and yet I am used by almost everybody. What am I?
Pencil lead.
9. A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. Two ambulances came and took them to different hospitals. The man’s son was in the operating room and the doctor said, “I can’t operate on you. You’re my son.” How is that possible?
The doctor is his mom!
10. A house has four walls. All of the walls are facing south, and a bear is circling the house. What color is the bear?
White, because it’s the North Pole.
11. What can go up the chimney when down, but cannot go down the chimney when up?
An umbrella.
12. The Smith family is a very wealthy family that lives in a big, circular home. One morning, Mr. Smith woke up and saw a strawberry jam stain on his new carpet. He figured out that everyone who was there that morning had a jam sandwich. By reading the following excuses, figure out who spilled the jam.
Billy Smith: “I was outside playing basketball.”
The Maid: “I was dusting the corners of the house.”
Chef: “I was starting to make lunch for later.”
Who is lying?
It was the maid. The house is circular; it has no corners.
13. What is as light as a feather, but even the world’s strongest man couldn’t hold it for more than a minute?
A breath.
14. Five men went to church. It started to rain. Four men ran for cover, but got wet on the way. The one man who stayed behind stayed dry. How?
He was the one in the coffin.
15. One night, a butcher, a baker, and a candlestick maker go to a hotel. When they get their bill, however, it’s for four people. Who’s the fourth person?
It was a (k)night.
16. In a one-story pink house, there was a pink person, a pink cat, a pink fish, a pink computer, a pink chair, a pink table, a pink telephone, a pink shower – everything was pink! What color were the stairs?
There are no stairs in one-story houses.
17. What is it that has a bottom at the top of them?
One’s legs.
18. What instrument can you hear but never see?
Your own voice.
19. A man was driving his truck. His lights were not on. The moon was not out. Up ahead, a woman was crossing the street. How did he see her?
It was daytime.
20. What is full of holes, but can still hold a lot of water?
A sponge.
21. A man was cleaning the windows of a 25-story building. He slipped and fell off the ladder, but wasn’t hurt. How did he do it?
He fell off the second step.
22. What has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps, can run but never walks, and has a bank but no money?
A river.
23. What is put on a table and cut, but is never eaten?
A deck of cards.
24. I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter but can’t go outside. What am I?
A keyboard.
25. A man leaves home and turns left three times, only to return home facing two men wearing masks. Who are those two men?
A catcher and an umpire.
26. What kinds of stones are never found in the ocean?
Dry stones.
27. Two fathers and two sons go on a fishing trip. They each catch a fish and bring it home. Why do they only bring three home?
Because there were only three people there: a father, a son, and a grandfather.
Easy Riddles For Kids
That said, you can’t always make things hard! You have to also have some riddles in your pocket that will encourage your kids’ young minds to seek out more mental challenges. That’s where these come in:
1. I turn once, what is out will not get in. I turn again, what is in will not get out. What am I?
A key.
2. With pointed fangs I sit and wait; with piercing force I crunch out fate; grabbing victims, proclaiming might; physically joining with a single bite. What am I?
A stapler.
3. People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?
Money.
4. If you drop me, I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back. What am I?
A mirror.
5. What word in the English language does the following: The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire word signifies a great woman.
Heroine.
6. Where does one wall meet the other wall?
At a corner.
7. I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
Seven
8. What coat is best to put on wet?
A coat of paint.
9. What three numbers, none of which is zero, give the same result whether they’re added or multiplied?
One, two and three.
10. A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter and 12 remains. What is it?
Dozens.
11. What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat and 2/4 goat?
Chicago.
12. What word of five letters has one left when two are removed?
Stone.
13. What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?
Queue.
Pun And Wordplay-Based Riddles For Kids
These are always a hit and are so simple to make up on your own.
In fact, these are the core of all dad-jokes ever created, so even if they end up being bad, they’ll elicit a laugh and be something you’ll all end up giggling over when your kids grow up and reminisce alongside you.
So what are you waiting for? Get stuck into some of these crack-me-up riddles:
1. In which month do monkeys play baseball?
Ape-ril.
2. Why did the woman wear a helmet at the dinner table?
Because of her crash diet.
3. If everyone bought a white car, what would we have?
A white carnation.
4. How do rabbits travel?
By hare plane.
5. What did the beach say when the tide came in?
Long time, no sea.
6. Why are teddy bears never hungry?
Because they are always stuffed.
7. Why couldn’t the sailors play cards?
The captain was standing on the deck.
8. When is a door not a door?
When it is a jar (ajar).
9. What can make an octopus laugh?
Ten tickles (tentacles).
10. What kind of room has no doors or windows?
A mushroom.
11. What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?
A palm.
12. Why didn’t the hot dog star in the movies?
The roll was not good enough.
13. Why is the Mississippi such an unusual river?
Because it has four eyes and it can’t even see!
14. What bank never has any money?
The riverbank.
15. Which letter of the alphabet has the most water?
C.
16. What ship has two mates, but no captain?
A relation-ship.
Who, What, When, Where, And Why Riddles For Kids
The particularly great riddles tend to be ones that start with any of these.
Most commonly named the 5 Ws, if you teach your kids to answer even the most complicated questions posed by these, you can be certain that their mental capabilities have advanced greatly.
They don’t have to be complicated either. Most of them can be as silly as you can make it. Think of it as a slightly more grown-up version of “I spy.”
While the above riddles also held the 5 Ws within, they were a bit more fun-oriented, while these are more about intuition and reading into the text.
1. David’s parents have three sons: Snap, Crackle, and what’s the name of the third son?
David.
2. What does an invisible man drink at snack time?
Evaporated milk.
3. I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest man can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I?
Your breath.
4. What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?
A clock.
5. What is it that has a bottom at the top of them?
Your legs
6. People buy me to eat, but never eat me. What am I?
A plate.
7. What has a neck but no head, and wears a cap?
A bottle.
8. It has been around for millions of years, but is no more than a month old. What is it?
The moon.
9. I have no legs. I will never walk, but always run. What am I?
A river
10. It flies around all day but never goes anywhere. What is it?
A flag
11. What can you hear, but not touch or see?
Your voice.
12. We see it once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day. What is it?
The letter “E.”
13. What lives without a body, hears without ears, speaks without a mouth, and is born in air?
An echo.
14. If I have it, I do not share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
A secret.
15. When the water comes down when it rains, I go up. What am I?
An umbrella.
16. I will always come, but never arrive today. What am I?
Tomorrow.
17. The one who makes me does not need me. The one who buys me does not use me for himself. The one who uses me doesn’t know that he is using me. What am I?
A coffin.
18. What has 88 keys but can’t open a single door?
A piano.
19. It gets beaten and whipped, but never cries? What is it?
An egg.
20. It gets broken without being held. What is it?
A promise.
21. I’m the end of the colorful rainbow. What am I?
Water.
22. I have rivers, but do not have water. I have dense forests, but no trees and animals. I have cities, but no people live in them. What am I?
A map.
23. It comes down but never goes up. What is it?
Rain.
24. What has four eyes but cannot see?
Mississippi.
25. I have no bones and no legs, but if you keep me warm, I will soon walk away. What am I?
An egg.
26. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?
Nothing.
27. It has a neck but no head. What is it?
A bottle.
28. I don’t have eyes, ears, nose, or tongue, but I can see, smell, hear, and taste everything. What am I?
A brain.
29. If you give me water, I will die. What am I?
Fire.
30. It stands on one leg with its heart in its head. What is it?
A cabbage.
31. You can break me easily without even touching or seeing me. What am I?
A promise.
32. What has eyes that cannot see, a tongue that cannot taste, and a soul that cannot die?
A shoe.
33. What has one eye but cannot see?
A needle.
34. If I drink, I die. If I eat, I am fine. What am I?
A fire.
35. I am tall when I am young and short when I am old. What am I?
A candle.
36. I never ask questions, but am always answered. What am I?
A doorbell.
37. I am a word. If you pronounce me right, it will be wrong. If you pronounce me wrong, it is right. What word am I?
Wrong.
38. You throw me away when you want to use me. You take me in when you don’t want to use me. What am I?
An anchor.
39. What wears a jacket, but no pants?
A book
40. I don’t have wings, but I can fly. I don’t have eyes, but I will cry! What am I?
A cloud.
41. What goes up and down, but never moves?
A flight of stairs.
42. I have lots of memories, but I own nothing. What am I?
A photo frame.
43. What has hands but cannot clap?
A clock.
44. What travels around the world but stays in one spot?
A stamp.
45. It has a hundred limbs, but cannot walk. What is it?
A tree.
46. You can serve it, but never eat it. What is it?
A tennis ball.
47. What loses its head in the morning but gets it back at night?
A pillow.
48. Take away my first letter, and I still sound the same. Take away my last letter, I still sound the same. Even if you take away my letter in the middle, I will still sound the same. I am a five letter word. What am I?
Empty.
49. What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow.
50. This bet can never be won. What is it?
The alphabet.
51. It is round on both sides but high in the middle. What is it?
Ohio.
52. I can clap without any hands. What am I?
Thunder.
53. Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?
Corn on the cob: You throw away the husk, cook and eat the kernels, and throw away the cob.
54. It is easy to get into, but hard to get out of. What is it?
Trouble.
55. What has a bark, but no bite?
A tree.
56. What dress can never be worn?
An address.
57. I have no life, but I can die. What am I?
A battery.
58. I go around all the places, cities, towns and villages, but never go inside. What am I?
A street.
59. Many times you need me. The further you take me, the more you leave me behind. What am I?
Footsteps.
60. It is higher without the head than with it. What is it?
A pillow.
61. What kind of coat can you put on only when it is wet?
A coat of paint.
62. You can keep it only after giving it away to someone else. What is it?
Your word.
63. The more you take away, the larger it becomes. What is it?
A hole.
64. I do not speak, cannot hear or speak anything, but I will always tell the truth. What am I?
A mirror.
Animal Riddles
A good way of making riddles interesting is by including your child’s favorite animal into the mix to get his attention and make him more invested in solving it. Here are a few examples.
1. What do lazy dogs do for fun?
Chase parked cars.
2. Where do cows go for their holidays?
Moo York.
3. What is the greatest worldwide use of cowhide?
To cover cows.
4. What does a cat have that no other animal has?
Kittens.
5. What always sleeps with its shoes on?
A horse.
6. What is as big as an elephant, but weighs nothing at all?
The shadow of an elephant.
7. What has a horn but does not honk?
A rhinoceros.
8. What can honk without a horn?
A goose.
9. Why do dragons sleep all day?
They like to hunt knights.
10. What two keys can’t open any doors?
A donkey and a monkey.
11. What has two heads, four eyes, six legs, and a tail?
A cowboy riding his horse.
12. What fur do we get from a tiger?
As fur away as possible!
Wrap Up
As you can see, a lot of these are quite easy riddles for kids that any single person can come up with. They don’t have to be good either – as long as your kids are having fun finding the logical solution to them, you should be golden!
As they grow up, you might want to try thinking of some hard riddles for kids to figure out if you want to keep them interested though, and those might take a bit more effort to think of yourself.
Personally, I’d suggest sticking to some form of math riddle if you want to get a bit more complicated or would like to teach your kid how to solve a specific math problem to make it easier for them at school.
If you’re still strapped for riddle ideas, I’d also say that some stand-up comedians can give you a rather good source of new material – even fresh ones that they come up with on the spot.
So go ahead and try these riddles on for size. Who knows, you may give those comics a run for their money!
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