Math Riddles for Kids
These math riddles with answers turn numbers into a game. Most are easy number riddles for kids, and the sneakier ones come with hints so nobody gets stuck for long. Guess out loud first, then tap to check.
Easy math riddles for kids to start
Friendly openers about upside down numbers, ducks in a row, and apples in a bowl. Counting fingers is officially allowed.
Number riddles with answers and hints
The middle of the deck gets sneakier with shapes, ages, and word tricks. Hints wait on the tougher cards, and every answer is a tap away.
Type-in math problems and multiple choice checks
Ten cards ask kids to type a number or pick an option and get graded instantly. Skip counting, cube corners, and one true or false surprise.
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1. I'm a number that looks exactly the same when you turn me upside down. What am I?
Need a hint?
Try writing some numbers and spinning the paper.
Show answer
8. Flip it over and it's still an 8. Zero works too!
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2. There are two ducks in front of a duck, two ducks behind a duck, and one duck in the middle. What's the smallest number of ducks this could be?
Need a hint?
Line them up single file.
Show answer
Three ducks walking in a line. The first has two behind it, the last has two in front, and the middle one is in the middle.
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3. There are 3 apples in a bowl and you take away 2. How many apples do you have?
Need a hint?
The question asks what YOU have, not what's left in the bowl.
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2. You took them, so you have them!
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4. I'm greater than 5 but less than 7. What number am I?
Show answer
6.
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5. How many sides does a circle have?
Need a hint?
It's a silly answer, not a geometry answer.
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Two: the inside and the outside.
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6. I have 4 sides that are all exactly the same length. What shape am I?
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A square.
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7. Add me to myself and you get 10. What number am I?
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5, because 5 + 5 = 10.
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8. Count the legs: two dogs and one bird go for a walk. How many legs in total?
Need a hint?
Dogs have 4 legs, birds have 2.
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10 legs. Each dog has 4, so that's 8, plus 2 for the bird.
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9. What did one math book say to the other math book?
Show answer
I've got so many problems.
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10. Mary's dad has five daughters: Nana, Nene, Nini, and Nono. What's the fifth daughter's name?
Need a hint?
Don't guess Nunu. Read the question again.
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Mary! The riddle told you her name in the very first word.
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11. How many fingers are there on ten hands?
Need a hint?
Count one hand first, then multiply.
Show answer
50, because 10 hands times 5 fingers is 50.
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12. What number comes right after 9,999?
Show answer
10,000.
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13. Seven crows sit on a fence. A loud dog scares one away. How many crows are left on the fence?
Need a hint?
Crows don't wait around to be counted.
Show answer
None. When one flew off, the noise scared all the others away too.
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14. I'm a shape with exactly 3 sides and 3 corners. What am I?
Show answer
A triangle.
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15. If two is company and three is a crowd, what are four and five?
Need a hint?
Stop thinking about people and just add.
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Nine, because 4 + 5 = 9.
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16. What time is it when an elephant sits on your alarm clock?
Show answer
Time to get a new clock.
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17. How many seconds are there in one year?
Need a hint?
Think about dates, not clocks.
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Twelve! January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd, and so on.
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18. I have a face but no eyes and hands but no arms, and numbers live all around my edge. What am I?
Show answer
A clock.
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19. Which number sounds like it already had dinner?
Show answer
Eight. It sounds just like 'ate'.
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20. Cut me in half and I become nothing at all. What number am I?
Need a hint?
Cut sideways, not up and down.
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8. Slice it across the middle and you get two zeros.
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21. Ten birds are sitting in a tree and half of them fly away. How many are left?
Show answer
5, because half of 10 is 5.
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22. Which number has exactly the same number of letters as its value?
Need a hint?
Spell some small numbers and count the letters.
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Four. F-O-U-R is 4 letters long.
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23. What did the zero say to the eight?
Need a hint?
Look at the middle of the 8.
Show answer
Nice belt!
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24. How many apples grow on an apple tree?
Need a hint?
It's a trick. Where else would they grow?
Show answer
All of them. Every apple grows on a tree!
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25. What's a math teacher's favorite season of the year?
Show answer
SUM-mer.
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26. I'm a coin, and two of me together make ten cents. What am I?
Need a hint?
Half of ten cents.
Show answer
A nickel. Each one is worth 5 cents.
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27. You bake 6 cookies, eat 2, and give 2 to a friend. How many cookies are left?
6 minus 2 minus 2 leaves 2 cookies. Guard them well.
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28. What is double of half of 10?
Half of 10 is 5, and double of 5 is right back to 10.
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29. Sam is 8 and his sister is half his age. When Sam turns 10, how old will his sister be?
She's 4 now, which is 4 years younger. She'll always be 4 years behind, so she'll be 6.
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30. You have ten fingers. If you don't count the thumbs, how many fingers are left?
Two thumbs come off the count, leaving 8 fingers.
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31. If yesterday was Monday, what day is tomorrow?
Yesterday was Monday, so today is Tuesday, and tomorrow is Wednesday.
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32. What is seven plus seven divided by seven? Careful: do the division first!
Show answer
8
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33. Take the number of days in a week and add the number of legs on a cat. What do you get?
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11
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34. Count by fives: 5, 10, 15... what comes next?
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20
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35. How many corners does a cube have? Picture a dice in your hand.
Show answer
8
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36. A square is also a rectangle.
A rectangle needs four right angles, and a square has them. It's just a rectangle whose sides all match.
Your score
FAQ about Math Riddles for Kids
What age are these math riddles for?
Roughly ages 6 to 11. Younger kids will breeze through the counting riddles, while the sneaky wordplay ones give upper elementary students a genuine workout.
Do kids need paper and pencil to solve them?
No. Every riddle here can be solved in your head or on your fingers, which is the point. The type-in cards only ask for a single number, not any written working.
Are answers and hints included?
Yes. All 36 riddles reveal their answer on tap, and the trickier ones carry a hint so kids can get a nudge before giving up. The quiz cards score each guess right away.
When the number bug bites hard, graduate to the trickier Math Brain Teasers, or mix subjects with Brain Teasers for Kids. Both keep the tap to check answers kids love here.