Science
I change shape but never disappear. I can be solid, liquid, or gas, and I’m found everywhere. What am I?
Water
What word begins and ends with an E but only has one letter?
Envelope (there's an 'e' at the start and end of the word, and an envelope contains a letter).
When Grant was 8, his brother was half his age. Now, Grant is 14. How old is his brother?
His brother is 10. Half of 8 is 4, so Grant’s brother is 4 years younger. This means when Grant is 14, his brother is still 4 years younger, so he’s 10.
What has a mouth but can’t speak?
A river.
Kate’s mother has three children: Snap, Crackle and ___?
Kate! It’s Kate’s mother, after all. (This is a good example of how riddles use your existing expectations to trick you. Even though the answer is right in front of you, you’re tempted to continue the pattern instead.)
I live in the sky but fall to the ground. I’m cold and white and make no sound. What am I?
Snow
How many letters are in the alphabet?
11 letters (there's only 11 letters in the phrase 'the alphabet').
What 3 numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together?
1, 2, and 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 x 2 x 3 = 6).
What can run but cannot walk?
Water.
I have a tail and a head, but no body. What am I?
A Coin
I’m round, but I’m not a ball. I have layers, but I’m not a cake. I’m in space, but I’m not a star. What am I?
The Earth.
There’s only one word in the dictionary that’s spelled wrong. What is it?
The word “wrong.” It’s the only word that’s spelled W-R-O-N-G.
Using only addition, how can you add eight 8's to get the number 1,000?
888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000.
If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?
A secret.
It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?
Your name.
I’m hot and bright, but don’t touch! I shoot up from the Earth in a big rush. What am I?
A volcano
Which word becomes shorter when you add 2 letters to it?
The word “short.”
I am a three-digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
194. (great for teaching place value!)
What goes away as soon as you talk about it?
Silence
You’re running a race and at the very end, you pass the person in 2nd place. What place did you finish the race in?
You finished in 2nd place.
I’m not alive, but I can grow. I don’t have lungs, but I need air. I’m not a plant, but I need water. What am I?
Fire.
What’s the capital of France?
The letter “F.” It's the only capital letter in France.
Mrs. Brown has 5 daughters. Each of these daughters has a brother. How many children does Mrs. Brown have?
They have 6 children. Each daughter has the same brother. There are 5 daughters and 1 son.
What starts with T, ends with T, and has T inside it?
A teapot.
How many months of the year have 28 days?
All of them! Every month has *at least* 28 days.