Winter Riddles
Hi! I am Ollie. Welcome to Riddle Kingdom!
Every riddle here is also a level in the Kingdom. Solve them on the map, keep your lives, earn stars and raise a landmark with each one. Good luck, and have fun!
PLAY
Winter riddles about snowmen, icicles, frost, and hot chocolate, all with answers one tap away. There are plenty of winter riddles for kids here, plus a few trick questions for grown-ups. Read them aloud on a snow day, or turn the snow riddles with answers into a classroom game.
Browse all the puzzles on this page ▾
-
1. I'm built in the cold with a carrot for a nose, and I quietly cry when the sun comes out. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Kids roll three big balls to make me.
Show answer
A snowman.
Carrot nose plus melting when the sun comes out points straight at a snowman.
-
2. I grow downward from the roof, sharp and clear as glass. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Don't stand right under me.
Show answer
An icicle.
Growing downward from the roof, sharp and clear as glass, describes an icicle exactly.
-
3. No two of us are ever exactly alike, and we fall without making a sound. What are we? Easy
Need a hint?
Catch one on your tongue.
Show answer
Snowflakes.
No two alike and falling silently is the classic snowflake description.
-
4. We're a cozy pair that hug your hands all winter. What are we? Easy
Need a hint?
Like gloves, but without separate fingers.
Show answer
Mittens.
A cozy pair hugging hands, hinted as fingerless gloves, names mittens.
-
5. I only run when I'm heading downhill over snow. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Climb on and hold tight.
Show answer
A sled.
Only running downhill over snow while riders climb aboard signals a sled.
-
6. I'm warm and brown, and I'm at my best with tiny white marshmallows floating on top. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
The perfect drink after playing in the snow.
Show answer
Hot chocolate.
Warm, brown, and topped with tiny marshmallows is hot chocolate.
-
7. Overnight, I paint feathery patterns on your windows. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
You'll see my artwork on cold mornings.
Show answer
Frost.
Feathery window patterns painted overnight on cold mornings point to frost.
-
8. I'm the biggest bear of all, and my white coat matches my icy home. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
I live in the Arctic.
Show answer
A polar bear.
Biggest bear with a white coat and Arctic home names the polar bear.
-
9. Bears do me all winter long, and honestly, it sounds wonderful. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
It's a very, very long nap.
Show answer
Hibernation.
Bears doing a very long winter nap is the definition of hibernation.
-
10. I have blades but I'm not a knife, and I glide across frozen water. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Lace me up at the rink.
Show answer
Ice skates.
Blades that glide across frozen water at the rink are ice skates.
-
11. I wrap around your neck like a long, soft, warm snake. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Grandma probably knitted you one.
Show answer
A scarf.
Wrapping the neck like a long soft snake, knitted by grandma, is a scarf.
-
12. Lie down in the fresh snow, wave your arms and legs, and you'll make me. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Look at the shape you leave behind.
Show answer
A snow angel.
Lying in snow waving arms and legs leaves the shape of a snow angel.
-
13. I'm a house built from the very thing that makes houses cold. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
My bricks are made of snow and ice.
Show answer
An igloo.
A house whose bricks are snow and ice is an igloo.
-
14. I wear a tuxedo every day, I never fly, and I love sliding on my belly. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
I waddle around the ice.
Show answer
A penguin.
Tuxedo look, flightless, belly-sliding, and waddling on ice describe a penguin.
-
15. Feed me wood and I'll warm the whole room while the storm howls outside. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Stockings hang from my mantel in December.
Show answer
A fireplace.
Fed wood, warming the room, with stockings on its mantel is a fireplace.
-
16. I'm a snowstorm with a very windy temper. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
School often gets canceled when I show up.
Show answer
A blizzard.
A snowstorm with a windy temper that cancels school is a blizzard.
-
17. I look like headphones, but the only thing I play is warmth. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
I keep two cold ears cozy.
Show answer
Earmuffs.
Looking like headphones but playing only warmth over two ears means earmuffs.
-
18. The two of us run side by side down the mountain, but we never race each other. What are we? Easy
Need a hint?
You'll need poles to go with us.
Show answer
Skis.
A pair running side by side downhill needing poles are skis.
-
19. Roll me and I grow. Throw me and I burst. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Duck! Incoming!
Show answer
A snowball.
Grows when rolled and bursts when thrown, with incoming warning, is a snowball.
-
20. After every big snowfall, I scrape and lift until the driveway shows again. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
Your back aches after using me.
Show answer
A snow shovel.
Scraping and lifting to clear the driveway while your back aches names a snow shovel.
-
21. I hang in the closet all summer, patiently waiting for my season. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
Zip me up before you go outside.
Show answer
A winter coat.
Hanging in the closet all summer, zipped up outside, is a winter coat.
-
22. I'm water that got so cold it simply stopped moving. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
I'm slippery. Watch your step.
Show answer
Ice.
Water so cold it stopped moving and turned slippery is ice.
-
23. I clear the snowy roads with my big metal smile. What am I? Medium
Need a hint?
I rumble past early in the morning.
Show answer
A snowplow.
Clearing snowy roads with a big metal smile, rumbling by early, is a snowplow.
-
24. Why did the snowman turn down an invitation to the sauna? Medium
Need a hint?
Think about what heat does to him.
Show answer
He didn't want a meltdown.
Meltdown puns on both a tantrum and the snowman literally melting in heat.
-
25. Where do snowmen keep their money? Medium
Need a hint?
Plows build these along the road.
Show answer
In a snow bank.
Snow bank puns on the plowed roadside ridge and a money bank.
-
26. I have no legs, but when winter ends I run down the hill all day. What am I? Hard
Need a hint?
Spring sunshine sets me loose.
Show answer
Melting snow, a little stream of meltwater.
No legs yet running downhill when winter ends fits meltwater freed by spring sun.
-
27. The warmer my room gets, the smaller I become. What am I? Easy
Need a hint?
I start in a tray in the freezer.
Show answer
An ice cube.
Shrinking as the room warms, starting in a freezer tray, describes an ice cube.
-
28. At what temperature does water freeze? Easy
Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, which is 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
-
29. What do snowmen wear on their heads? Medium
Ice caps. It's a pun on the polar ice caps.
-
30. Which animal sleeps through most of the winter? Easy
Bears settle into dens and sleep through most of the cold season.
-
31. How many sides does a snowflake have? Medium
Snowflakes grow as six-sided crystals because of how water molecules bond.
-
32. What's a snowman's favorite snack? Medium
Ice krispies. Anything warm is strictly off the menu.
-
33. ❄️ + 👟 Easy
Need a hint?
Strap them on so you stay on top of deep drifts.
Show answer
Snowshoes (snow + shoe).
Snowflake plus shoe combines directly into snowshoes.
-
34. ❄️ + 🌍 Easy
Need a hint?
Shake it and watch the tiny storm swirl.
Show answer
A snow globe (snow + globe).
Snowflake plus globe combines directly into a snow globe.
-
35. 🧊 + ⛰️ Medium
Need a hint?
Most of me hides below the waterline.
Show answer
An iceberg (ice + mountain).
Ice plus mountain merges into iceberg, hinted by hiding below the waterline.
-
36. 🧊 + 🚢 Medium
Need a hint?
This sturdy vessel smashes a path through frozen seas.
Show answer
An icebreaker (ice + ship).
Ice plus ship makes icebreaker, the vessel smashing through frozen seas.
-
37. No two snowflakes are exactly alike. Easy
Each snowflake takes a slightly different path through the clouds, so its crystal grows a unique shape.
-
38. Penguins live at the North Pole. Medium
Wild penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere. The North Pole belongs to the polar bears.
-
39. Count the snowflakes in this picture. Easy
Show answer
Five. There are five snowflakes drifting across the picture.
-
40. How many circles make up this snowman? Medium
Show answer
Three big circles. The body is three stacked circles. The two tiny dots are just his eyes.
-
41. I nip at fingers and noses that stay out too long in the cold. What am I? Medium
Show answer
Frostbite.
Nipping fingers and noses exposed too long in cold names frostbite.
-
42. I am every kid's wish on a snowy school morning. What am I? Easy
Show answer
A snow day.
Every kid's wish on a snowy school morning is a snow day.
-
43. I keep your cocoa hot on a freezing day, and I fit right inside a backpack. What am I? Easy
Show answer
A thermos.
Keeping cocoa hot and fitting in a backpack describes a thermos.
-
44. I appear in front of your face on a cold day when you breathe out, like a little cloud. What am I? Easy
Show answer
Your breath.
A little cloud in front of your face on a cold day is your breath.
-
45. I am a soft knitted cap that keeps your head toasty all winter. What am I? Easy
Show answer
A beanie.
A soft knitted cap keeping your head toasty all winter is a beanie.
-
46. What did the children use for the snowman's nose? Easy
Show answer
A carrot.
The traditional snowman nose the children used is a carrot.
-
47. I am a wall of packed snow that kids build to hide behind in a snowball fight. What am I? Easy
Show answer
A snow fort.
A packed-snow wall to hide behind during a snowball fight is a snow fort.
-
48. In summer I am water you can swim in, but in deep winter I turn hard enough to walk on. What am I? Medium
Show answer
A frozen lake.
Swimmable in summer but hard enough to walk on in winter is a frozen lake.
-
49. I am the coldest season, when the days are short and the nights are long. What am I? Easy
Show answer
Winter.
The coldest season with short days and long nights is winter.
-
50. What do you call a snowman with rock-hard abs? Medium
Show answer
An abdominal snowman.
Abdominal snowman puns on abdominal muscles and the Abominable Snowman.
-
51. The wind piles me into a tall heap against the side of the house. What am I? Medium
Show answer
A snowdrift.
Wind piling snow into a tall heap against the house describes a snowdrift.
-
52. Cars drive over me and the day warms up, so I turn gray and mushy. What am I? Medium
Show answer
Slush.
Snow turned gray and mushy by car traffic and warmth is slush.
-
53. I'm rain that half froze on the way down, so I sting when I hit you. What am I? Medium
Show answer
Sleet.
Rain that half froze on the way down and stings is sleet.
-
54. I carry tired skiers back up the mountain while their feet dangle in the air. What am I? Medium
Show answer
A ski lift.
A machine carrying skiers uphill with feet dangling is a ski lift.
-
55. Trucks scatter me across icy roads so cars don't slide. What am I? Medium
Show answer
Road salt.
The stuff trucks scatter on icy roads to stop sliding is road salt.
-
56. I have skis in front and a track in back, and I roar across the snow. What am I? Medium
Show answer
A snowmobile.
Skis in front, a track in back, roaring over snow, is a snowmobile.
-
57. I have antlers and hooves, I live in the frozen north, and I'm famous for pulling a certain sleigh. What am I? Medium
Show answer
A reindeer.
Antlers, hooves, the frozen north, and pulling a sleigh point to a reindeer.
-
58. What do you call a snowman in the middle of July? Hard
Show answer
A puddle.
A snowman in July has melted into a puddle.
-
59. What do you call a dog that shivers in the cold? Hard
Show answer
A chili dog.
A chili dog puns on chilly, so a cold dog is a chili dog.
-
60. What do you call a snowman's pet dog? Hard
Show answer
A slush puppy.
Slush puppy puns on the icy drink, a fitting pet for a snowman.
-
61. Where do snowmen go to cast their ballots? Hard
Show answer
The North Poll.
North Poll puns on the North Pole and casting a vote at a poll.
-
62. What do snowmen take when they catch a cold? Hard
Show answer
A chill pill.
A chill pill puns on chilly and the pill you take when sick.
-
63. How does a snowman let you know he is upset with you? Hard
Show answer
He gives you the cold shoulder.
Cold shoulder means both a chilly snub and the snowman being made of cold snow.
-
64. What is a snowman's favorite Mexican food? Hard
Show answer
A brrrito.
A brrrito puns on burrito and the shivering brrr of the cold.
-
65. What did one snowman say to the other across the yard? Hard
Show answer
Do you smell carrots?
One snowman smelling carrots refers to the other's carrot nose.
-
66. What do you call a snowman after a long warm afternoon? Hard
Show answer
Water.
A snowman that has fully melted is just water now.
-
67. I look exactly like plain wet pavement, yet I am the sneakiest and most dangerous ice a driver can meet. What am I? Hard
Show answer
Black ice.
Ice that looks like wet pavement and fools drivers is black ice.
-
68. I am a river that forgot how to hurry, a mass of ice creeping downhill for centuries and carving valleys as I go. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A glacier.
A slow mass of ice creeping downhill and carving valleys is a glacier.
-
69. I circle a hockey rink between periods and leave a fresh sheet of glassy ice behind me. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A Zamboni.
The machine that resurfaces rink ice between periods is a Zamboni.
-
70. On the coldest clear nights near the poles, I ripple across the sky in curtains of green and pink, yet I make no sound. What am I? Hard
Show answer
The northern lights.
Silent curtains of green and pink light near the poles are the northern lights.
-
71. I begin as a whisper of loose snow high on a peak, then thunder down the slope and bury everything in seconds. What am I? Hard
Show answer
An avalanche.
Loose snow thundering down a peak and burying everything is an avalanche.
-
72. I cut a hole in a frozen lake, drop a line through it, and wait in the cold for a bite. What am I doing? Hard
Show answer
Ice fishing.
Cutting a hole in a frozen lake and dropping a line is ice fishing.
-
73. In the far north I am ground that stays frozen solid all year long, even when summer comes to visit. What am I? Hard
Show answer
Permafrost.
Ground that stays frozen all year in the far north is permafrost.
-
74. Chop the first letter off a cold shiver, and a chill becomes a great place to go sledding. What word do you get? Hard
Show answer
Hill.
Removing the C from chill leaves hill, a place to sled.
-
75. I strike so fast, dumping heavy snow and fierce wind, that drivers suddenly cannot see the road at all. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A whiteout.
A sudden burst of blinding snow and wind is a whiteout.
-
76. What do you call a snowman who is always telling tall tales? Hard
Show answer
A snow fake.
Snow fake puns on snowflake, fitting a snowman who tells tall tales.
-
77. I ride inside a car's engine all winter so the water in there never freezes solid. What am I? Hard
Show answer
Antifreeze.
The liquid that keeps a car engine from freezing is antifreeze.
-
78. I get swapped onto a car's wheels every winter so it can grip the slick, icy roads. What am I? Hard
Show answer
Snow tires.
Tires swapped on for grip on icy roads are snow tires.
-
79. I float on your cocoa like a tiny white raft, and the longer I stay the smaller I get. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A marshmallow.
A small white raft that floats on cocoa and dissolves is a marshmallow.
-
80. I am a rare spotted cat of the high cold mountains, and I wrap my thick tail around myself like a scarf. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A snow leopard.
A rare spotted cat of the high cold mountains is the snow leopard.
-
81. I am a bird as white as the snow I hunt over, and I stay wide awake on the coldest nights. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A snowy owl.
A white bird awake on the coldest nights is a snowy owl.
-
82. In a hard freeze I can burst right inside your walls, because the water in me expands as it turns to ice. What am I? Hard
Show answer
A water pipe.
A pipe can burst in a freeze because water expands as it turns to ice.
Snow riddles with answers: snowmen, snowflakes, and sleds
The long opening run is pure winter: a snowman with a carrot nose, icicles growing from the roof, and the snow angel you make with your whole body.
Winter animal riddles for kids
Polar bears in white coats, penguins in tuxedos, and bears sleeping the season away. These are the friendliest riddles on the page and young kids solve them fast.
Winter quiz round: emoji, true or false, and pictures
The page ends with emoji riddles, quick true or false checks, and two visual counting puzzles, so the format shifts just when the room needs a change of pace.
Your score
FAQ about Winter Riddles
Are these winter riddles for kids or adults?
Both. Most are gentle enough for elementary kids, especially the animal riddles, while a handful of trick questions and the true or false round give adults something to miss. Hints are there when anyone stalls.
How can teachers use winter riddles in the classroom?
They make great snow-day fillers and December-to-February warm-ups. Read one aloud each morning, or project the counting puzzles and emoji riddles for a whole-class game. Answers reveal on tap, so pacing is easy.
Do the riddles include answers and hints?
Yes. Every winter riddle reveals its answer with a tap, and most carry a hint for younger solvers. Quiz mode hides everything and keeps score if you want a competition instead.
If the frosty theme has you hooked, keep the cozy season going with our Christmas riddles for the whole family. When you are ready to switch from guessing to solving, warm up your brain with our festive Christmas rebus puzzles.