Riddles for Kids
Kids love a riddle they can beat the grownups with. This set runs from easy to tricky, and each one shows the age it suits best plus a quick note on why the answer works. Read them out loud, let the guessing start, or print the whole sheet for the classroom.
Browse all the puzzles on this page ▾
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1. Why did the crayon get a time out? Ages 5-7
Show answer
It kept drawing on the walls.
Just like a child, drawing on the walls breaks the rules and earns a time out.
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2. I am yellow, I have a peel, and monkeys love me. What am I? Ages 5-7
Show answer
A banana.
A yellow fruit with a peel that monkeys love can only be a banana.
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3. I am round and bouncy, and I love being kicked around the park. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A soccer ball.
Only a soccer ball is round, bouncy, and made to be kicked around the park.
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4. I am made of snow and have a carrot for a nose. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A snowman.
A carrot nose stuck on a pile of snow gives away the snowman.
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5. I carry my house on my back and move very slowly. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A snail.
A snail's curly shell looks like a little house it carries as it inches along.
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6. I have eight wiggly arms and I live deep in the sea. What am I? Ages 5-7
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An octopus.
An octopus is the sea animal with exactly eight bendy, wiggly arms.
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7. I am called the king of the jungle and I have a big loud roar. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A lion.
People call the lion king of the jungle, and its huge roar gives it away.
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8. I hop around and keep my baby in a pocket. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A kangaroo.
A kangaroo hops and carries its baby in a pouch, which works like a pocket.
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9. I have a very long neck and eat leaves from the tallest trees. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A giraffe.
A giraffe's long neck lets it reach leaves other animals cannot.
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10. I am black and white and I love to slide on the ice. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A penguin.
Penguins are black and white birds that slide on ice to zoom around.
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11. I say quack and love to swim in the pond. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A duck.
Ducks say quack and paddle around ponds with their webbed feet.
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12. I sleep all day and hoot all night. What am I? Ages 5-7
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An owl.
Owls are night birds, so they hoot after dark and rest by day.
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13. I am round, covered in cheese, and cut into slices. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A pizza.
Cheese and slices are the giveaway, since pizza is the round food we cut and share.
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14. I fly high in the sky on a string on windy days. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A kite.
A string and windy days point to a kite, the toy we fly up high.
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15. I am full of air and I pop if you poke me. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A balloon.
Air inside is the clue, and a balloon is the toy that pops.
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16. I have two wheels and pedals, and you ride me to the park. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A bicycle.
Two wheels and pedals you ride to the park point straight to a bicycle.
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17. I twinkle high in the sky at night. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A star.
Twinkling high in the night sky is exactly what a star does.
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18. I shine in the daytime and keep you warm. What am I? Ages 5-7
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The sun.
The sun lights up the day and warms us, just like the clues say.
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19. I am fluffy and white and I float in the sky. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A cloud.
Only a cloud is fluffy and white and drifts high in the sky.
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20. I have four legs, a wagging tail, and I bark. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A dog.
A wagging tail plus a bark points straight to a friendly dog.
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21. I purr when I am happy and chase mice. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A cat.
Purring and chasing mice are things only a cat does.
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22. I am green, I hop, and I croak by the pond. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A frog.
Green, hopping, and croaking by a pond all describe a frog.
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23. I wear a hard shell and I walk very slowly on land. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A turtle.
A hard shell on a slow land walker is the sign of a turtle.
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24. I am orange and crunchy, and rabbits love me. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A carrot.
Only carrots are orange, crunchy, and a rabbit's favorite snack.
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25. I go up and down on your jacket but I am not an elevator. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A zipper.
A zipper opens and closes your jacket by sliding up and down.
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26. I have a bright red nose and big funny shoes, and I make you laugh. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A clown.
A clown wears a red nose and silly shoes to make you laugh.
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27. I am cold and sweet and I come in a cone. What am I? Ages 5-7
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Ice cream.
Ice cream is cold, sweet, and scooped into a crunchy cone.
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28. I am small and gray, I squeak, and I love cheese. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A mouse.
Squeaking and loving cheese are the clues that point straight to a mouse.
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29. I have wings and I buzz from flower to flower. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A bee.
Bees have wings and buzz around flowers to gather sweet nectar.
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30. I spin a web to catch my lunch. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A spider.
Spiders spin sticky webs to trap bugs to eat.
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31. I live on a farm and wake everyone up with cock-a-doodle-doo. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A rooster.
Roosters crow loudly at sunrise to wake up the whole farm.
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32. I am long and yellow and I take kids to school. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A school bus.
School buses are long and painted yellow to carry kids to school.
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33. I go over your head twice for every hop you take. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A jump rope.
A jump rope swings up over your head each time you hop over it.
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34. I am a big orange face with a candle inside in October. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A jack-o-lantern.
A carved pumpkin glows with a candle inside every October.
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35. I climb up slowly, then race down while everyone screams. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A roller coaster.
A roller coaster climbs the big hill, then zooms down while riders scream.
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36. I go up and down all day at the playground, but only if a friend sits across from me. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A seesaw.
A seesaw needs a friend on the other end to go up and down.
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37. I hold your books and ride on your back to school. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A backpack.
A backpack rides on your shoulders and carries your books to school.
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38. I am frozen juice on a stick, sweet and fruity. What am I? Ages 5-7
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A popsicle.
A popsicle is juice frozen solid onto a little stick.
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39. What animal always sleeps with its shoes on? Ages 8-10
Need a hint?
Its shoes are made of metal.
Show answer
A horse.
A horse wears metal horseshoes that stay on, so it never kicks off its shoes.
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40. What kind of key opens a banana? Ages 8-10
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A monkey.
Monkey ends in the sound key, and monkeys are the ones who peel bananas.
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41. Why do bees have sticky hair? Ages 8-10
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Because they use honeycombs.
A comb tidies hair and honey is sticky, so honeycomb makes the joke work.
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42. I have black and white stripes but I am not a road. What am I? Ages 8-10
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A zebra.
A zebra wears black and white stripes, but you would never drive on one.
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43. I have a long trunk but I am not a tree. What am I? Ages 8-10
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An elephant.
An elephant's long nose is called a trunk, the same word as a tree's trunk.
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44. I am red with tiny seeds on my outside. What fruit am I? Ages 8-10
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A strawberry.
Strawberries are the one fruit that wears its tiny seeds on the outside.
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45. What fruit always looks sad? Ages 8-10
Need a hint?
Its name says how it feels.
Show answer
A blueberry.
Feeling blue means feeling sad, and a blueberry has blue in its name.
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46. What do snowmen like to eat for breakfast? Ages 8-10
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Snowflakes.
Snowflakes and cornflakes both end in flakes, so the cold cereal fits a snowman.
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47. Why did the teddy bear say no to dessert? Ages 8-10
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Because it was already stuffed.
Stuffed means both full from food and packed with fluff, just like a teddy bear.
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48. What do you call a dinosaur that is sleeping? Ages 8-10
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A dino-snore.
A snoring dinosaur makes a dino-snore, which sounds like dinosaur.
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49. What do you call a monkey that loves potato chips? Ages 8-10
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A chip-munk.
Chipmunk hides the word chip, perfect for a chip-loving monkey.
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50. What kind of ship never sinks? Ages 8-10
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A friendship.
A friendship has the word ship in it and never breaks apart.
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51. Where do sheep go to get their hair cut? Ages 8-10
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The baa-baa shop.
Baa-baa shop sounds like barber shop, and sheep say baa.
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52. Where do cows go on Friday night? Ages 8-10
Show answer
To the moo-vies.
Cows say moo, and moo blends with movies to make moo-vies.
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53. I light up the night sky and change my shape all month. What am I? Ages 8-10
Show answer
The moon.
Only the moon lights the night and changes shape through its monthly phases.
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54. What do you call a rabbit that tells great jokes? Ages 8-10
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A funny bunny.
Funny rhymes with bunny, so a joke-telling rabbit is a funny bunny.
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55. What does a cloud wear under its raincoat? Ages 8-10
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Thunderwear.
Thunder plus underwear makes thunderwear, a silly word for cloud clothes.
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56. I go up and down all day long but I never move. What am I? Ages 8-10
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Stairs.
People walk up and down stairs, but the stairs stay in one spot.
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57. What animal has a horn but never honks it? Ages 8-10
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A rhino.
A rhino's horn sits on its nose, not the honking kind on a car.
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58. What kind of house weighs the least of all? Ages 8-10
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A lighthouse.
A lighthouse has the word light in its name, and light means the opposite of heavy.
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59. What kind of bow can never be tied? Ages 8-10
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A rainbow.
A rainbow has bow in its name, but it is only light so it cannot be tied.
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60. What kind of button can you never push? Ages 8-10
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A belly button.
A belly button is called a button, but it is not a real one to push.
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61. What do you give a lemon when it gets a boo-boo? Ages 8-10
Show answer
Lemon aid.
Lemon aid sounds just like lemonade, the sweet drink made from lemons.
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62. What do you call a duck that gets all A's in school? Ages 10-12
Show answer
A wise quacker.
A duck says quack, and wise quacker sounds just like wisecracker, a clever joker.
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63. What kind of band never plays a single song? Ages 10-12
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A rubber band.
A band can be musicians or a stretchy loop, and this one only stretches.
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64. Why did the smartphone need to visit the eye doctor? Ages 10-12
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It lost all its contacts.
Contacts can mean the lenses for your eyes or the numbers saved in a phone.
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65. What do you call a dinosaur with an enormous vocabulary? Ages 10-12
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A thesaurus.
A thesaurus sounds like a dinosaur name and is a book packed with words.
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66. Why did the belt get sent to the principal's office? Ages 10-12
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For holding up a pair of pants.
Holding up can mean supporting something or robbing it, which is what makes the joke funny.
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67. What did the sea say to the little sailboat passing by? Ages 10-12
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Nothing, it just waved.
The sea makes waves, and a wave is also a friendly hello with your hand.
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68. What do you call a fish who always dresses in a fancy bowtie? Ages 10-12
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So-fish-ticated.
Sophisticated means fancy and secretly hides the word fish right in the middle.
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69. Why did the cookie make an appointment with the doctor? Ages 10-12
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It was feeling crummy.
Crummy means covered in crumbs and also means feeling sick or unwell.
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70. I can copy the words you say, yet I never spent a day in school. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A parrot.
Parrots mimic human speech just by listening, even though they never learn to read.
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71. I scoop up fish in the stretchy pouch under my long beak. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A pelican.
A pelican's beak has a built-in pouch that works like a net for catching fish.
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72. I can turn green, brown, or spotted to match wherever I rest. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A chameleon.
Chameleons change their skin color to blend into their surroundings and stay hidden.
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73. I hang upside down to sleep and find my way using sound. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A bat.
Bats roost upside down and bounce sound off objects to see in the dark.
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74. I am the biggest bird on Earth, but my wings will never lift me. What am I? Ages 10-12
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An ostrich.
Ostriches are huge birds built for running fast instead of flying into the air.
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75. I chop down trees with my teeth and build a dam across the stream. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A beaver.
Beavers gnaw logs with strong teeth and stack them to dam up flowing streams.
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76. I am a chewy bread shaped like a ring, but I am no doughnut. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A bagel.
A bagel is a firm, chewy bread with a hole, unlike a sweet fried doughnut.
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77. I can make you cry buckets even though I have no feelings at all. What am I? Ages 10-12
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An onion.
Slicing an onion releases a gas that stings your eyes and brings on the tears.
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78. I wear a green rind, hide juicy red inside, and I am a summer picnic star. What am I? Ages 10-12
Show answer
A watermelon.
A watermelon has a green outside and sweet red fruit, perfect for warm picnic days.
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79. I am a tiny roasted bean, and grown-ups say I help them wake up. What am I? Ages 10-12
Show answer
A coffee bean.
Coffee is brewed from roasted beans and helps many adults feel awake in the morning.
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80. Most foods go soft when they cook, but I do the opposite and turn firm. What am I? Ages 10-12
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An egg.
Heat makes most foods soften, but an egg sets and hardens as it cooks.
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81. I am salty, knotted, and twisted into a shape like a pair of folded arms. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A pretzel.
A pretzel is a bread twisted into loops that look like two crossed arms.
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82. I ring and buzz whenever someone wants you, but I own no finger for a ring. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A phone.
A phone rings and buzzes to reach you, yet it has no finger to wear a ring.
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83. I ride on your wrist, show a face, and never miss counting a single second. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A watch.
A watch sits on your wrist with a face that ticks off every passing second.
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84. I grow shorter every time you use me, and my hat rubs out your mistakes. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A pencil.
A pencil wears down as you write, and the eraser on top removes your mistakes.
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85. I have a brim but hold no drink, and a crown but rule no kingdom. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A hat.
A hat has a brim and a top called the crown, but no drink and no king.
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86. I copy your every move in the sunshine, then disappear the moment it gets dark. What am I? Ages 10-12
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Your shadow.
Sunlight casts your shadow on the ground, but it vanishes when there is no light.
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87. I have a tongue and two laces, but I cannot speak or tie myself. What am I? Ages 10-12
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A shoe.
A shoe has a flap called a tongue and laces to tie, yet it cannot talk.
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88. I dash up trees, hide acorns for winter, and flick my bushy tail. What am I? Ages 8-10
Show answer
A squirrel.
A bushy tail and a stash of buried acorns point straight to a busy squirrel.
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89. I knock on tree bark all day but never wait for anyone to answer. What am I? Ages 8-10
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A woodpecker.
A woodpecker taps its beak on tree bark to hunt for bugs, not to visit.
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90. You look at me to check your face, but I only copy what I see. What am I? Ages 8-10
Show answer
A mirror.
A mirror shows your face by bouncing back the very same picture it sees.
Easy riddles for kids, ages 5 to 7
A riddle for kids is a short question that describes a familiar object or animal in a slightly odd way, then asks the listener to name it. Three things make one work for children. The picture has to be concrete, drawn from a world they already know: pets, playgrounds, snacks, weather. There should be one twist, not several, so the puzzle turns on a single surprising detail. And the answer has to be a word a child already owns. On this page, one riddle asks what animal always sleeps with its shoes on, and the twist is that horseshoes are metal, not footwear. Another asks what kind of key opens a banana, where the answer, a monkey, works by sound rather than logic. To run a guessing round, read the riddle out loud twice, take guesses from everyone, then give the hint before revealing. Each riddle below carries an age label, so you can start young with the ages 5 to 7 picks and work up.
Animal riddles kids can guess out loud
Cats, horses, penguins, and other familiar creatures show up all over this list, and animals are the easiest theme for young children because they can picture the answer before they hear it. Perfect read-aloud material.
Food and treat riddles for kids
Bananas, pizza, carrots, and ice cream turn snack time into a guessing game. Food riddles work because kids already know the taste, the shape, and the color, so the clue clicks fast.
Funny riddles for kids, ages 8 and up
Lemon aid for a hurt lemon, a wise quacker at the top of the class. These lean on a pun, so they suit ages 8 and up who can hear the second meaning. Expect groans from the grownups and giggles from everyone else.
Your score
FAQ about Riddles for Kids
What age are these riddles for?
Most work for ages 5 to 12. Younger kids do best when an adult reads the riddle aloud, while older kids can swipe through on their own.
How do you make a riddle easier for a younger child?
Give a category first, such as animal or food, so the child has a smaller field to search. Then offer one concrete clue from the riddle itself, like the shoes on a horse being made of metal. Younger children guess better when an adult reads the riddle aloud twice.
What is the difference between a riddle and a joke for kids?
A joke ends in a punchline the listener receives. A riddle ends in an answer the listener is invited to find, so it needs a fair clue somewhere in the wording. Many kid riddles sit between the two, like the one asking what you give a lemon with a boo-boo.
If these were a hit, keep the giggles going with our funny riddles for kids, then switch things up and let them decode our rebus picture puzzles for kids for a whole new kind of brain-bending fun.