87 Fun Riddles for Kids (with Answers!)

We pulled together a treasure trove of puzzling fun, a compilation of brain teasers, each one!

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  By: Tali Ditye, Ph.D., Co-founder

  Updated: November 30, 2023

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Watching kids unravel a great riddle brings immense joy to parents and kids alike.

Riddles play an important role in honing kids' logic and critical thinking abilities, helping them think outside the box, and allowing them to practice and expand their vocabulary.

Moreover, solving riddles flexes their problem-solving muscles and occasionally results in a hearty laugh or a delightful "a-ha" moment when they crack the puzzle!

Also, be sure to check out these funny jokes for kids and our list would you rather questions for kids!

Mind-Bending Riddles for Kids

• I am full of holes but can still hold water. What am I?  Answer: A sponge.
• What has keys but can't open locks?  Answer: A piano.
• What has a heart that doesn't beat?  Answer: An artichoke.
• What word begins with E and ends with an E, but only has one letter?  Answer: An envelope.
• I go all around the country without leaving the corner. What am I?  Answer: A stamp.
• What two things can you never eat for breakfast?  Answer: Lunch and dinner.
• If you drop me, I will crack. But if you smile at me, I will smile back. What am I?  Answer: A mirror.
• You can find me at the dinner table, but you can never eat me. What am I?  Answer: A fork or knife.
• I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and rivers but no water. What am I?  Answer: A map.
• What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?  Answer: The letter "M".
• What has an eye but cannot see?  Answer: A needle.
• I have keys but open no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can't go outside. What am I?  Answer: A keyboard.
• You can find me in Mars, Earth, Mercury, and Jupiter. But I'm never in Venus or Neptune. What am I?  Answer: The letter R.
• What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?  Answer: A promise.
• Which question can you never answer "yes" to?  Answer: Are you asleep
• I have a head and a tail, but no arms or legs. What am I?  Answer: A coin.
• I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?  Answer: An echo.
• I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and rivers but no water. What am I?  Answer: A map.
• What has a thumb and four fingers but is not a hand?  Answer: A glove.
• What has many teeth but can't bite?  Answer: A comb.
• I have a neck but no head. What am I?  Answer: A bottle.
• What starts with the letter "t", is full of "t", and finishes with the letter "t"?  Answer: A teapot.
• What gets wetter as it dries?  Answer: A towel.
• I'm tall when I'm young, and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?  Answer: A candle.
• I have keys but can't open locks. I have a lot of rings but no fingers. What am I?  Answer: A telephone.
• I sometimes run but I cannot walk. What am I?  Answer: Your nose.
• What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?  Answer: Your name.
• What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?  Answer: A clock.
• What starts with "P", ends with "E", and has thousands of letters?  Answer: The Post Office.

Animal Riddles for Kids

• I grow down while I grow up. What am I?  Answer: A goose.
• What has hundreds of needles, but cannot sew?  Answer: A porcupine.
• What's black and white, but also blue?  Answer: A sad zebra.
• I have a mane, but I'm not a lion. I can run fast, but I'm not a cheetah. What am I?  Answer: A horse.
• I have black and white stripes, but I'm not a zebra. What am I?  Answer: A skunk.
• I have big floppy ears, but I'm not a bunny. I can remember things well, but I'm not a computer. What am I?  Answer: An elephant.
• I'm a small furry creature, but I'm not a hamster. I have a long bushy tail, but I'm not a monkey. What am I?  Answer: A squirrel.
• What animal can jump higher than a building?  Answer: Any of them, buildings can't jump!
• I have a shell, but I'm not a turtle. I move slowly, but I'm not a snail. What am I?  Answer: A tortoise.
• I have colorful feathers, but I'm not a peacock. I can mimic sounds, but I'm not a parrot. What am I?  Answer: A mockingbird.
• A cowboy rode into town on Wednesday. Three days later, she left on Wednesday. How is that possible?  Answer: Wednesday is the name of her horse.
• Cats have four, bugs have four, but school has six. What are they?  Answer: Letters.
• I'm a large marine animal, but I'm not a dolphin. I have a tusk, but I'm not a walrus. What am I?  Answer: A narwhal.
• I have a long neck, but I'm not a giraffe. I can stand on one leg, but I'm not a monkey. What am I?  Answer: A flamingo.
• I'm a small insect, but I'm not a ladybug. I can make something sweet, but I cannot cook. What am I?  Answer: A honeybee.
• I have colorful scales, but I'm not a fish. I can slither, but I'm not a snake. What am I?  Answer: A lizard.
• I like to spray water, but I'm not a hose. What am I?  Answer: An elephant.

Food Riddles for Kids

• I'm brown and sweet, but I'm not chocolate. You spread me on bread, what am I?  Answer: Peanut butter.
• I'm round and cheesy, but I'm not the moon. I have a crust but no flakes. What am I?  Answer: Pizza.
• I'm crunchy and salty, but I'm not a pretzel. People love to munch on me at the movies, what am I?  Answer: Popcorn.
• I'm a green veggie, but I'm not a zucchini. People use me to make pickles, what am I?  Answer: Cucumbers.
• What kind of room has no windows or doors?  Answer: A mush-room.
• First you throw away my outside and cook my inside. Then you eat my outside and throw away my inside. What am I?  Answer: Corn on the cob.
• What food has a head but no nose, eyes, or mouth?  Answer: Lettuce.
• What fruit can never be cheered up?  Answer: A blueberry.
• I'm a frozen treat, but I'm not an ice cube. You lick me to cool down on a hot day, what am I?  Answer: Ice cream.
• If there are seven oranges and you take away three, how many do you have?  Answer: Three, that's how many you took.
• I'm small and red, but I'm not an apple. People love to dip me in chocolate, what am I?  Answer: Strawberries.
• I'm a vegetable, but I'm not a carrot. People love to dip me in ranch dressing, what am I?  Answer: Celery.
• What do you need to break before you can use it?  Answer: An egg.
• What kind of cup will never hold water?  Answer: A cupcake.
• I'm a breakfast favorite, but I'm not cereal. People love to put syrup on me, what am I?  Answer: Pancakes.
• How many letters are in the alphabet?  Answer: Eleven. The has three, and alphabet has eight.
• I'm long and yellow, but I'm not a ruler. You peel me before eating, what am I?  Answer: Banana.
• I'm a delicious dessert, but I'm not a cupcake. People often bake me with chocolate chips, what am I?  Answer: Cookies.

School Riddles for Kids

• If things go wrong at school, what can you always count on?  Answer: Your fingers.
• I'm found in classrooms but don't make a sound. I'm used to display, what can be found?  Answer: A whiteboard or chalkboard.
• Two is company, and three is a crowd. What are four and five?  Answer: Nine.
• I'm made of paper, with words to explore. You read me for knowledge, what am I, for sure?  Answer: A book.
• I'm always with you at school, from class to class I go. I hold your books and supplies, what am I, you know?  Answer: A backpack.
• What did the triangle say to the circle?  Answer: You are pointless.
• I'm a tiny gadget, you'll see me in class. I help with math and science, what am I?  Answer: A calculator.
• I'm on the walls in the hall, displaying art and more. I add color to the school, what am I at its core?  Answer: Posters.
• I'm a friendly figure, guiding you through the halls. I'll show you where to go, what am I that calls?  Answer: A school map.
• I'm on the playground, moving up and down. Children love to sit on me, what am I above the ground?  Answer: Swings.
• I'm a noisy place, where kids gather and eat. During lunchtime, it's fun, what am I? Answer: The cafeteria.
• I'm an evening task, making learning a breeze. You receive tasks and tests, what am I?  Answer: Homework.
• I'm a place to explore, where knowledge is the key. You sit in rows and learn, what am I, you see?  Answer: A classroom.

Sports Riddles for Kids

• I'm a game in the cold, with skates to glide. The puck I chase, what sport is my pride?  Answer: Ice hockey.
• On a court, we rally, with nets and strings. Serves and volleys, what sport brings?  Answer: Tennis.
• With a ball and a hoop, we dribble and score. The court we troop, what sport we adore?  Answer: Basketball.
• The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?  Answer: Footsteps.
• On a horse, we ride, jumping fences tall. Equestrian's pride, what sport enthralls?  Answer: Show jumping.
• In the pool, we race, with strokes so fast. The water's embrace, what sport makes a splash?  Answer: Swimming.
• I'm played in the sand, with a net to set. The ball we land, what sport is a bet?  Answer: Volleyball.
• With bats in hand, we swing for the fence. A home run grand, what sport's immense?  Answer: Baseball.
• In a square ring, we spar and fight. Gloves on, we bring, what sport's a sight?  Answer: Boxing.
• I'm a team sport, with a field so vast. A ball we court, what sport is steadfast?  Answer: Soccer.
• On the waves, we ride, catching a thrill. Ocean's pride, what sport has you standing still?  Answer: Surfing.