Riddles have been around for thousands of years. In fact, the oldest recorded riddle dates right back to 2350 BC and is from ancient Mesopotamia! And there's a reason these entertaining brain teasers have stuck around for so long.
Riddles are a great way to entertain, test your brain, and support your children's cognitive development. They help to boost creativity, critical thinking, and are funny to boot. So what are you waiting for?
Whether you're looking to give your children a laugh or keep them entertained on a car journey, here are some great riddles with answers to try out!
1. Riddles about numbers and math
Riddles about numbers are a great way to sneak some math into your child’s day, especially if your child doesn't typically enjoy the subject. Here are a few of our favorites.
Fathers and sons riddle
Two fathers sit down for breakfast with two sons and all of them have eggs. They eat exactly three eggs and every person has an egg. How can this be true?
Answer: one of the 'fathers' is also a grandfather. This means that the other father is a son and a father. So there are only three people at the table.
Word play and numbers riddle
If two is company and three is a crowd then what are four and five?
Answer: Nine! (This is a great one for teaching your children about addition and word problems.)
Counting on us riddle
When things go wrong or don't work out quite the way you'd planned, what can you always count on?
Answer: Your fingers!
Twelves riddle
I know a word that contains six letters but if you remove one letter then twelve remains. What word do I know?
Answer: Dozens.
2. Riddles about colors
How do colors appear throughout our daily lives in funny ways? These riddles will teach your children!
A colorful street riddle
If Mr. Blue lives in the Blue House and Mrs. Red lives in the Red House then Mr. Yellow lives in the Yellow House. Okay, but who lives in the White House?
Answer: The President.
Colorful houses riddle
Red houses are made of red bricks, yellows houses are made of yellow bricks and blue houses are made of blue bricks. But if this is the case, what do you use to make a greenhouse?
Answer: Glass, of course!
3. Riddles about food
Food is a huge part of our children's daily lives (or should we say...goldfish), which makes these riddles very relatable. Try them out and you might be surprised by how quickly your child gets to grips with them!
Rhyming riddle
I'm a fruit and my name might sound like there are two of me and in a Christmas song, you'll find a partridge in this type of tree. What am I?
Answer: A pear
Dinnertime riddle
You always bring this for dinner but never eat it. What am I talking about?
Answer: Cutlery
A useful fruit riddle
I am a fruit with a lot of use. I may be green or red and grow on vines. You can dry me to make raisins or squeeze me for wine - what am I?
Answer: A grape
4. Funny riddles for kids
These riddles will give your children a good giggle and make thinking fun. What a win-win!
Monkey business
Two monkeys are sitting in a tree then one jumps off. But why does the second monkey jump as well?
Answer: Monkey see monkey do.
A hairy moment riddle
My friend Daniel went out for a walk when suddenly it started raining. He didn't have an umbrella with him, he wasn't wearing a hat, and his clothes got soaking wet. But there wasn't a wet hair on his head - why?
Answer: Daniel is bald.
Troublesome riddle
I am easy to get into but am tricky to get out of, what am I?
Answer: Trouble!
5. Spelling riddles
These riddles all about spelling are a great way to get your children thinking about how words work while making education fun.
If they're struggling, why not give them a hint by writing it down or telling them that the solution lies within the words themselves? It'll sound cryptic and get them to think about the riddle in a new way entirely!
Once in a lifetime riddle
I occur once in a lifetime and twice in a moment. But in one hundred years you'll never find me. What am I?
Answer: I am the letter "M".
Letters riddle
What begins with "E" but only contains a single letter?
Answer: An envelope.
Wrong spelling riddle
One word in the dictionary is spelled wrong. Which word is it?
Answer: The word "wrong".
6. Classic Riddles
Sometimes an oldie is a goodie. Your children might already be familiar with some of these classic riddles but this is a great way to boost their confidence and show them just how riddles work.
Full of holes riddle
What is full of holes but can still hold water?
Answer: A sponge.
Drying riddle
What gets wetter as it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Forward thinking riddle
I am always in front of you but I cannot be seen. What am I?
Answer: The future.
Hands riddle
I have hands but I cannot clap, what am I?
Answer: A clock.
Entertain your children for hours with these riddles with answers
Looking for more great ways to keep your children entertained during the winter months? We’ve got you covered with tons of DIY crafts and projects!
