Riddles and Brain Teasers for Kids - Fun Ways to Stretch Your Mind

The summer months are filled with fun and time away from school work. One fun way to keep your brain active during the months off is with riddles and brain teasers. Here are some of my favorite classic puzzlers to try out with your family.

This page is broken up into two sections. First, all of the riddles are listed. Second, the answers are at the bottom of the page (in the same order). Try working on them as a family, either racing to get the answer, or working as a team to come up with the solution. Don't give up too soon!

Riddles for Kids

Tricky T’s

Read this riddle aloud to your child.
“Tricky little Theresa tried to twiddle her thumbs and toes together and tripped on the twentieth try. How many T’s are in that?”

Same Birthday

Two girls were born from the same mother, at the same time, day, month, and year, but they are not twins. How is this possible?

The Liar and the Honest Man

While walking in the forest, you come to a fork in the road. Only one fork leads to safety. Standing there are two men. You know that one of the men always lies, and the other always tells the truth, but you don’t know which is which. You may ask one man (not both) one question, and then decide which path to take. What question should you ask?

Jungle River Crossing

A jungle explorer needs to cross a river with three things: A leopard, a monkey, and a huge basket of bananas. Unfortunately, his boat can only carry himself and one other thing at a time. Left alone together on either shore, the leopard would eat the monkey, and the monkey would eat the bananas. How does he do it?

 Water Buckets

There are two buckets. One can hold 3 gallons, and the other, 5 gallons. Using only these two buckets and a garden hose, measure out exactly 4 gallons of water.

The Answers

Tricky T’s

Two. There are 2 T’s in the word “that.”

Same Birthday

Answer: The two girls are two out of a set of triplets.

The Liar and the Honest Man

Answer: Your question should be, “Which road will the other man tell me is safe?” You can ask either man. Assume the right fork is the safe road. If you ask the truthful man, he’ll say, "He will tell you to take the left fork.” If you ask the liar, he’ll give the same answer. In either case, you will them know to take the right fork instead.

Jungle River Crossing

Answer: The explorer takes the monkey across first, since the leopard won’t eat the bananas. Then he brings the bananas across, and takes the monkey back to the first side. Next he brings the leopard across. Finally, he brings the monkey across again.

Water Buckets

Answer: Fill the 3-gallon bucket, and then pour it into the 5-gallon bucket. Fill the 3-gallon bucket again, and then use it to top off the 5-gallon bucket. This means you will pour two gallons into the 5-gallon bucket, leaving 1 gallon of water in the 3 gallon bucket. Now empty the 5-gallon bucket. Pour the 1 gallon of water into the 5-gallon bucket. Refill the 3-gallon, bucket, add it all to the 5-gallon bucket, and you will have exactly 4 gallons of water.

Want even more? Go to your local library and check out a book on brain teasers and puzzles (there are lots of them!). Or, search the internet for even more fun.