Riddles are a brilliant way to help children develop their critical thinking skills and creativity. So here are the best challenging riddles for children and adults.
Our students absolutely love riddles so we’ve compiled some of our favourite riddles here for you!
Riddles 1 – 10
A man was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat. He didn’t get a single hair on his hair wet.
(Answer: He’s bald!)
People make me, save me, change me and raise me. What am I?
(Answer: Money)
What goes up and down without moving?
(Answer: Stairs)
What is it that no one wants, but no one wants to lose?
(Answer: A lawsuit)
Which word gets shorter when you add two letters to it?
(Answer: Short. The word short literally becomes ‘shorter’ when you add two letters!)
What runs but never gets tired?
(Answer: A river. Another answer to this riddle could be a tap or water faucet.)
What breaks yet never falls, and what falls yet never breaks?
(Answer: Day and night)
How can the number 4 be half of 5? Think outside of the box for this riddle!
(Answer: ‘IV’ in Roman numerals is 4. ‘V’ in Roman numerals is 5. The Roman numeral for 5 uses half of the characters of the Roman numeral for 4.)
It’s shorter than the rest, but when you’re happy, you raise it like it’s the best? A tough riddle but when you get the answer… (Answer: Your thumb! ?)
No matter how little or how much you use me, you change me every month. What am I? There are a few funny answers to this riddle!
(Answer: Calendar. The funny answers include your clothes, your towel, and your other half! ?)
Riddles 11-20
How is seven different from the rest of the numbers between one and ten?
(Answer: seven is a two-syllable word whereas the other numbers between one and ten are only one-syllable words.)
What can be broken without being touched?
(Answer: A promise. Other answers to this riddle include silence and trust)
How much dirt is in a hole that’s two feet by three feet by two feet?
(Answer: None. A hole doesn’t have any dirt in it! A rare trick riddle)
What begins with an ‘e’, ends with an ‘e’, and contains only one letter? (A relatively difficult riddle, but a very clever riddle nonetheless!)
(Answer: An envelope. The word ‘envelope’ begins with an ‘e’, ends with an ‘e’ and a physical envelope contains only one letter!)
I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
(Answer: A map)
A classic riddle. A man rode into town on Tuesday and left two days later on Tuesday. How?
(Answer: The horse was called Tuesday)
The person who makes it has no need for it; the person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it? This is a toughie but a goodie and one of the best riddles we have come across!
(Answer: A coffin)
I make two out of one. What am I? This is a short riddle that will take you a long time to work out!
(Answer: A mirror)
What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
(Answer: A teapot)
What can’t talk, but will reply when spoken to?
(Answer: An echo)
Riddles 21 – 30
Where is the only place in the world where today comes before yesterday?
(Answer: The dictionary)
What goes through cities and towns, but never moves?
(Answer: Roads or train tracks)
What can fill up a room, but takes up no space.
(Answer: Light. Noise and air are also possible answers)
What disappears the second you talk about it?
(Answer: Silence)
What can you hold without ever touching or using your hand?
(Answer: Your breath. You could also hold a promise, a secret, a note, your emotions, a conversation. Ok, so as it happens you can hold many things without using your hands ?.)
Saturday and Sunday, I am big. Tuesday to Thursday I am small. Monday and Friday, I am non-existent. What am I?
(Answer: The letter S)
What gets bigger when more is taken away?
(Answer: A hole)
What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up?
(Answer: An umbrella. It can go up a chimney when it is down, but it can’t go down a chimney when it is up!)
What goes up but never comes down?
(Answer: Your age)
What has 6 faces and 21 eyes but cannot see?
(Answer: A die)
Riddles 31 – 36
How far can a rabbit run into the woods? This is a clever riddle!
(Answer: A rabbit can run halfway into the woods. Once it is halfway, it is technically running out of the woods)
What tastes better than it smells. This is kind of a silly riddle.
(Answer: Your tongue. It can literally taste things better than I can smell things!)
What has one eye but cannot see?
(Answer: A needle)
What has many teeth but cannot bite?
(Answer: A comb)
What belongs to you, but is used more by other people? (there are a few answers to this riddle but there is one, in particular, we are looking for!
(Answer: Your name)
What travels around the world but stays in a corner. This is personally my favourite riddle and one of the best riddles out there!
(Answer: A stamp)
