Riddles are an exciting way to engage children in playful problem-solving. They encourage creative thinking and help develop critical thinking skills.
In this ultimate guide, we’ve compiled 315 riddles for kids, categorized by theme, to ensure endless hours of fun.
Animal Kid Riddles
- I’m white, and I can fly. I sing songs in the sky. What am I?
A dove. - I have a long nose, big ears, and I’m known for my memory. What am I?
An elephant. - I’m green, and I hop. You’ll find me near a pond. What am I?
A frog. - I live in the jungle and love to swing from tree to tree. Who am I?
A monkey. - I have black and white stripes and live in the savannah. What am I?
A zebra. - I have a shell, but I’m not a nut. I have claws, but I’m not scary. What am I?
A turtle. - I’m small and busy, and I work in a team. Who am I?
An ant. - I’m known for my nine lives, but I still like to take naps. Who am I?
A cat. - I have a mane and roar loudly. What am I?
A lion. - I’m slow-moving, but I carry my house with me. What am I?
A snail. - I love carrots, and I can hop around. What am I?
A rabbit. - I have a bushy tail, and I love climbing trees. What am I?
A squirrel. - I’m spotted and fast, chasing prey on the savannah. What am I?
A cheetah. - I have feathers, but I can’t fly. Who am I?
An ostrich. - I live underwater and have eight legs. What am I?
An octopus.
Food Riddles For Kids
- I’m yellow, and I get peeled before you eat me. What am I?
A banana. - I’m green on the outside and red inside. What am I?
A watermelon. - I have a shell you crack, and I’m great in salads. What am I?
An egg. - I’m crispy, and I come in a bag. What am I?
Potato chips. - You’ll find me at a movie, covered in butter. What am I?
Popcorn. - I’m round, cheesy, and loved by kids and adults alike. What am I?
Pizza. - I’m sweet, and I come in a cone. What am I?
Ice cream. - I’m red, and I’m often used to make sauces. What am I?
A tomato. - I’m sour, and I make people pucker. What am I?
A lemon. - I’m green and can be sliced for sandwiches or guacamole. What am I?
An avocado. - I’m orange, and I crunch when you eat me. What am I?
A carrot. - I’m red or green, and I’m often baked into pies. What am I?
An apple. - I’m brown, sweet, and made of cocoa. What am I?
Chocolate. - I’m leafy and often the base of a salad. What am I?
Lettuce. - I’m long, yellow, and can be mashed, boiled, or baked. What am I?
A potato.
School Riddles
- I have keys but no locks. What am I?
A keyboard. - You use me to write, but I don’t have ink. What am I?
A pencil. - I have pages, but I’m not a tree. What am I?
A book. - I come in a box and stick to paper. What am I?
Glue. - I’m flat, and I help you draw straight lines. What am I?
A ruler. - I have hands but can’t clap. What am I?
A clock. - I can erase your mistakes, but I’m not a teacher. What am I?
An eraser. - I’m used for cutting, but I’m not a knife. What am I?
Scissors. - I’m colored, but I’m not a rainbow. What am I?
A crayon. - You sit on me, but I’m not a bed. What am I?
A chair. - I’m carried to school every day and hold everything you need. What am I?
A backpack. - You ring me, and students come running. What am I?
A school bell. - I’m made of paper and show how well you’ve done. What am I?
A report card. - I make music, but I’m not an instrument. What am I?
A bell. - I’m where you write notes during class. What am I?
A notebook.
Nature Riddles
- I’m bright, but I’m not a star. I rise in the east and set in the west. What am I?
The sun. - I’m white and fall from the sky in winter. What am I?
Snow. - I’m invisible, but you can feel me when I blow. What am I?
The wind. - I shine at night but I’m not a light bulb. What am I?
The moon. - I make leaves rustle but cannot be seen. What am I?
The breeze. - I form in the sky and carry rain. What am I?
A cloud. - I fall from the sky in small drops. What am I?
Rain. - I’m tall, green, and give shade. What am I?
A tree. - I’m hot, and I light up the sky. What am I?
Lightning. - I roar but I’m not a lion. I bring storms. What am I?
Thunder. - I’m cold and cover everything in white, but I’m not snow. What am I?
Frost. - I grow and change colors in the fall. What am I?
A leaf. - I’m a large body of water surrounded by land. What am I?
A lake. - I start in the mountains and flow into the sea. What am I?
A river. - I light up the sky after rain but am not the sun. What am I?
A rainbow.
Funny Riddles
- Why did the tomato turn red?
Because it saw the salad dressing! - What kind of room has no doors or windows?
A mushroom. - What has hands but can’t clap?
A clock. - Why don’t skeletons fight each other?
They don’t have the guts! - What gets wetter as it dries?
A towel. - Why was the math book sad?
It had too many problems. - Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon?
Because she’ll let it go! - What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?
A carrot. - Why are ghosts bad at lying?
Because you can see right through them. - Why did the bicycle fall over?
Because it was two-tired. - What do you call a bear with no teeth?
A gummy bear. - What did one wall say to the other wall?
I’ll meet you at the corner. - What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?
Nacho cheese. - Why couldn’t the pony sing a lullaby?
Because she was a little hoarse. - Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?
In case he got a hole in one!
Bonus Riddles For Kids
- What comes down but never goes up?
Rain. - I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?
A candle. - What can travel around the world while staying in one corner?
A stamp. - What has to be broken before you can use it?
An egg. - I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. What am I?
An echo. - The more of this there is, the less you see. What is it?
Darkness. - What can you hold in your right hand but not in your left?
Your left hand. - What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
A teapot. - What can fill a room but takes up no space?
Light. - What has a head, a tail, but no body?
A coin. - What runs but never walks?
A river. - What gets bigger the more you take away?
A hole. - What is full of holes but still holds water?
A sponge. - What has a face but no eyes, hands but no arms?
A clock. - What’s always in front of you but can’t be seen?
The future. - What has keys but can’t open locks?
A piano. - What has one eye but can’t see?
A needle. - What gets sharper the more you use it?
Your brain. - What can you catch but not throw?
A cold. - What has a neck but no head?
A bottle. - What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
An artichoke. - What goes up but never comes down?
Your age. - What’s full of secrets but can’t tell a single one?
A book. - What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
The letter M. - What has a bottom at the top?
Your legs. - What starts with P and ends with E and has thousands of letters?
The post office. - What’s black and white and read all over?
A newspaper. - What’s lighter than a feather but the strongest person can’t hold it for long?
Your breath. - What is always in bed but never sleeps?
A river. - What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?
A palm tree. - What has legs but doesn’t walk?
A table. - What has many teeth but can’t bite?
A comb. - What’s as light as a feather but even the strongest man can’t hold it for long?
His breath. - What can be cracked, made, told, and played?
A joke. - What runs but never gets tired?
A refrigerator. - What has a ring but no finger?
A phone. - What has ears but can’t hear?
Corn. - What goes through cities and fields but never moves?
A road. - What has a head and a tail but no body?
A coin. - What word is spelled wrong in every dictionary?
Wrong. - What has four wheels and flies?
A garbage truck. - What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a hundred years?
The letter M. - What has a face but no eyes, nose, or mouth?
A clock. - What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
Silence. - What has many keys but can’t open any doors?
A piano. - What can be broken without being touched?
A promise. - What has feet but no legs?
A yardstick. - What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
The future. - What’s orange and sounds like a parrot?
A carrot. - What comes down but never goes up?
Rain. - What has hands but can’t clap?
A clock. - What’s easy to get into but hard to get out of?
Trouble. - What has cities, but no houses; forests, but no trees; and rivers, but no water?
A map. - What’s round and extremely violent?
A vicious circle. - What’s always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow. - What do you bury when it’s alive and dig up when it’s dead?
A plant. - What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive?
A glove. - What gets bigger the more you take away?
A hole. - What has one head, one foot, and four legs?
A bed. - What begins with T, ends with T, and is full of T?
A teapot. - What has no body and no nose but can still smell?
Nobody. - What flies without wings?
Time. - What runs all around a backyard but never moves?
A fence. - What has roots nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up it goes, and yet it never grows?
A mountain. - What is so light that even the strongest person cannot hold it for long?
A breath. - What can’t be used until it’s broken?
An egg. - What starts with an E, ends with an E, but only contains one letter?
An envelope. - What has no legs but can still run?
A river. - What kind of band never plays music?
A rubber band. - What has teeth but can’t eat?
A comb. - What has keys but can’t open locks?
A keyboard. - What has a head, a tail, but no body?
A coin. - What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a thousand letters?
A post office. - What has 13 hearts but no other organs?
A deck of cards. - What belongs to you but others use it more?
Your name. - What travels around the world but stays in one spot?
A stamp. - What starts with the letter T, is filled with T, and ends in T?
A teapot. - What can you hold in your left hand but not in your right?
Your right hand. - What has no fingers but can point?
A clock. - What comes once in a second, twice in a decade, but never in a century?
The letter E. - What goes up when the rain comes down?
An umbrella. - What has a neck but no head?
A bottle. - What two things can you never eat for breakfast?
Lunch and dinner. - What can you make that no one can see, but everyone can hear?
Noise. - What has 88 keys but can’t open a single door?
A piano. - What has an eye but can’t see?
A needle. - What has a thumb and four fingers, but is not alive?
A glove. - What starts with P and ends with E, and has thousands of letters in it?
The post office. - What’s black and white and read all over?
A newspaper. - What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Your name. - What flies without wings?
Time. - What’s bright at night and makes the sky seem light, yet it’s out of sight by day?
The moon. - What begins with T, ends with T, and is full of T?
A teapot. - What do you throw out when you want to use it, but bring in when you don’t?
An anchor. - What goes through cities and fields but never moves?
A road. - What has many keys but can’t open any doors?
A piano. - What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
Silence. - What has a head and a tail, but no body?
A coin. - What can fill a room but doesn’t take up any space?
Light. - What is full of holes but still holds water?
A sponge. - What can you hold without ever touching?
A conversation. - What has a ring but no finger?
A phone. - What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
The letter R. - What’s always running but never gets tired?
A refrigerator.