Fun Hard Riddles for Kids (With Answers) in 2023

Looking for hard riddles for kids? Kids love puzzles and riddles, but most of the ones out there are too easy. They need a challenge! They want to be pushed to their limits, and they want to feel smart when they solve a puzzle or riddle.

Hard Riddles for Kids is the perfect solution. We've collected some of the best hard riddles for kids that will keep them entertained and engaged for hours on end. These brain teasers are perfect for rainy days, long car rides, or just a quiet afternoon at home.

Let's get started!

Best Hard Riddles for Kids

Below are some of the best hard riddles for kids. If you are looking for a challenge, these mind-bending puzzles are sure to stump even the smartest young minds!

What has one bee at one end and five bees at the other?

Answer: A honeycomb.

How many months have 28 days?

Answer: All of them!

What has a head but no body, a bed but no sleep, a mouth but no voice?

Answer: A river.

I’m not alive, but I grow; I don't have lungs, but I need air; I don't have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?

Answer: Fire.

You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

Answer: They were all married!

What has a heart that doesn’t beat, a mouth that doesn’t speak, and a head that doesn’t think?

Answer: A pumpkin.

Throw me off the highest building and I’ll not break. But put me in cold water and I will. What am I?

Answer: A match.

I have a head and a tail, but nobody. What am I?

Answer: A coin.

I fly without wings, I cry without eyes. What am I?

Answer: Cloud.

Which is heavier: a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?

Answer: Neither—they both weigh a ton.

Three doctors said that Bill was their brother. Bill says he has no brothers. How many brothers does Bill actually have?

Answer: None. He has three sisters.

What three numbers, none of which is zero, give the same result whether they’re added or multiplied?

Answer: One, two, and three

Mary has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does Mary have?

Answer: Five—each daughter has the same brother.

If two’s a company, and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?

Answer: Nine

The Smith family is a very wealthy family that lives in a big, circular home. One morning, Mr. Smith woke up and saw a strawberry jam stain on his new carpet. He figured out that everyone who was there that morning had a jam sandwich. By reading the following excuses, figure out who spilled the jam.Billy Smith: “I was outside playing basketball.”The Maid: “I was dusting the corners of the house.”Chef: “I was starting to make lunch for later.”Who is lying?

Answer: It was the maid. The house is circular; it has no corners.

I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter but can’t go outside. What am I?

Answer: Keyboard.

Tuesday, Sam and Peter went to a restaurant to eat lunch. After eating lunch, they paid the bill. But Sam and Peter did not pay the bill, so who did?

Answer: Their friend, Tuesday

What is full of holes, but can still hold a lot of water?

Answer: A sponge

What instrument can you hear but never see?

Answer: Your voice! You can sing with your voice like an instrument and hear it, but no one can see it!

A man was driving his truck. His lights were not on. The moon was not out. Up ahead, a woman was crossing the street. How did he see her?

Answer: It was a bright and sunny day

A cloud is my mother, the wind is my father, my son is the cool stream, and my daughter is the fruit of the land. A rainbow is my bed, the earth my final resting place, and I am the torment of man.

Answer: Rain

A man leaves home and turns left three times, only to return home facing two men wearing masks. Who are those two men?

Answer: A catcher and an umpire

What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

Answer: The letter R.

I come from a mine and get surrounded by wood always. Everyone uses me. What am I? 

Answer: Pencil lead.

What disappears as soon as you say its name? 

Answer: Silence

What has hands and a face, but can't hold anything or smile?

Answer: A clock.

You'll find me on Mercury, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter, but not on Venus or Neptune. What am I?

Answer: The letter "R."

I am light as a feather, but the strongest person can't hold me for over 11 minutes. What am I?

Answer: Your breath.

What can you break even if you never pick it up or touch it?

Answer: A promise.

What question can you never answer "yes" to?

Answer: "Are you asleep?"

What is really easy to get into but hard to get out of?

Answer: Trouble.

What can jump higher than a building?

Answer: Anything because buildings don't jump.

What room do ghosts avoid?

Answer: The living room.

I can be cracked or played; told or made. What am I?

Answer: A joke.

What has a head and a tail but no body?

Answer: A coin.

Two men are in a desert. They both have backpacks on. One of the guys is dead. The guy who is alive has his backpack open and the guy who is dead has his backpack closed. What is in the dead man’s backpack?

Answer: A parachute.

What is it that given one, you’ll have either two or none?

Answer: A choice.

What can go through glass without breaking it?

Answer: Light.

It’s shorter than the rest, but when you’re satisfied, you bring it up. What is it?

Answer: Your thumb.

A woman shoots her husband, then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Afterward, they enjoy a lovely dinner. How?

Answer: She took a picture of him and developed it in her darkroom.

I only lie down once in my life—when I die. What am I?

Answer: A tree.

Who can finish a book without finishing a sentence?

Answer: A prisoner.

What ancient invention allows people to see through walls?

Answer: Windows.

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I’m invisible, but you can call for me. What am I?

Answer: An echo.

What has ten letters and starts with gas?

Answer: An automobile

I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

Answer: A map.

One knight, a ninja, and a pirate were on a ship. The ship began to sink. The ninja and the pirate jumped into a lifeboat before the ship went underwater. Who died?

Answer: The knight.

What has ten letters and starts with gas?

Answer: Automobile.

What walks on four feet in the morning, two in the afternoon, and three at night?

Answer: A man. The times of day represent a lifetime. He crawls as a baby, walks as an adult, and walks with a cane as an elder man.

One day, a magician was boasting about how long he could hold his breath underwater. His record was 6 minutes. A kid that was listening said, “that’s nothing, I can stay underwater for 10 minutes using no equipment or air pockets!” The magician told the kid if he could do that, he’d give him $10,000. The kid did it and won the money. How?

Answer: He filled a glass of water and held it above his head for 10 minutes.

I have three feet, but I can’t stand without leaning. I have no arms to hold me up. What am I?

Answer: A yardstick.

You see me once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May. What am I?

Answer: The letter “e.”

I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Answer: Seven.

What do you get when you cross a snowman and a vampire?

Answer: Frostbite.

Why did the math book look so sad?

Answer: Because it was full of problems.

Why are teddy bears never hungry?

Answer: Because they are always stuffed.

What do you call a chihuahua in the summer?

Answer: A hot dog!

What is orange in color, green on top, and sounds like a parrot?

Answer: A carrot!

What did the triangle say to the circle?

Answer: You are pointless.

What five letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

Answer: Shorter (Short+er)

There are 3 apples in the basket and you take two away. How many apples do you have now?

Answer: Two. You took two away.

A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?

Answer: Four sisters and three brothers.

Bonus tricky math riddles for kids

There are 3 apples in the basket and you take two away. How many apples do you have now?

Answer: Two. You took two away.

When Eric was 8, his brother was half his age. Now Eric is 14. How old is his brother?

Answer: Half of 8 is 4 so Eric's brother is 4 years younger.

Kate's mother has three children. James, Joe, and blank. What is the third child's name?

Answer: Kate!

What has four fingers and a thumb but isn't alive?

Answer: A glove

7 Tips for solving Hard Riddles

If you're anything like me, you love a good riddle. There's something about the challenge of figuring out a clever puzzle that just gets my blood pumping. But as anyone who's ever been stumped by a riddle knows, they aren't always easy to solve.

That's why we've put together this quick guide on how to solve riddles. With these tips in mind, you'll be able to tackle any riddle that comes your way.

1. Read the riddle carefully.

This may seem like an obvious first step, but it's an important one. Riddles are often intentionally confusing, so it's important to read them slowly and carefully. Make sure you understand all the words and concepts in the riddle before trying to solve it.

2. Break the riddle down into smaller pieces.

Once you've read the riddle, try to break it down into smaller pieces. What are the key elements of the riddle? What information is you being given?

3. Think about what you already know.

Chances are, you already know more than you realize. A lot of riddles rely on common knowledge or cultural references. See if you can think of anything that might be relevant to the riddle.

4. Generate some possible solutions.

This is where the brainstorming comes in. Once you've considered all the information in the riddle, it's time to start generating some possible solutions. Don't worry about whether or not your solutions make sense - at this point, you just want to get some ideas down on paper.

5. Eliminate the unlikely solutions.

Once you have a list of possible solutions, it's time to start eliminating the unlikely ones. This is where your common sense comes in - if a solution doesn't make sense, it's probably not the right one.

6. Try to verify your solution.

If you're stuck, try asking someone else for their opinion. Sometimes it can be helpful to get a fresh perspective.

7. Don't give up!

If you still can't solve the riddle, don't give up. Take a break and come back to it later. Chances are, the answer will come to you when you least expect it.

Solving riddles can be a fun and challenging way to spend your time. With these tips in mind, you'll be able to tackle any riddle that comes your way.

Conclusion

That’s it!

So, if you're looking for a fun way to challenge your kids (or yourself), try out some of these hard riddles. They're sure to get the brain working and provide hours of entertainment!

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