What choices do I have to keep my child busy in his/her free time : –
So what can we smart moms do to keep our children engaged without the help of technology? I have just the idea, how about putting their brain to work with some challenging riddles and brain teasers!
Riddles help in shaping a child’s creativity. In order to solve a complex problem, they tend to form associations and find links between facts. This helps in getting their creative bones exercised and they also learn to draw conclusions from their existing pool of knowledge + the additional information gathered. All of this combined results in an excellent mechanism for learning and memorizing.
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After a couple of weeks of riddle marathons, I have observed that these brain games have really helped in motivating and encouraging my child to think and not just think, but think out-of-the-box. This summer, why don’t you challenge your little ones with some mind-boggling brain teasers and make a day of it!
Here’s a list of 27 challenging riddles and brain teasers for kids that’ll leave them scratching their heads:
Let’s begin from the very beginning and visit the riddle that started it all. The ancient civilization of Sumer was the first one to come up with the idea of riddles. The following riddle is speculated to be one of the very first riddles.
Riddle #1. It is a house. You enter it blind but come out seeing. What is it?
Answer - A school
Akbar, the great ruler once ruled our beautiful country. Akbar’s court had Nine Gems and one of the nine gems was a gifted and extremely clever man named Birbal. The legends of his intellect are popular to this day. Akbar often challenged Birbal’s intellect with some puzzles and riddles and Birbal always stood up to the challenge. Here’s an interesting Akbar Birbal riddle for you to solve:
Trying to pull Birbal’s leg, Emperor Akbar once gave him a gold coin and asked him to purchase - something to eat, something to drink, something to plant and something to feed the cattle. The tricky part, however, was that Birbal was told to only buy one thing.
Riddle #2. The question is - What did Birbal purchase to outsmart the king?
Answer - A watermelon. You can eat the watermelon, you can drink its juice, you can feed its rind to the cattle and you can plant its seeds in the garden.
As long as we are going back in time why not visit a riddle by William Shakespeare called ‘The Merchant of Venice’
In order to win Portia's hand in marriage, her father created this riddle for her suitors to solve. Portia's father arranged 3 caskets - a golden casket, a silver casket, and a leaden casket. Each suitor was asked to pick a casket of his liking.
Upon the golden casket was written - "Who chooseth me shall gain what many men desire."
Upon the silver casket was written - "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves."
Upon the leaden casket was written - "Who chooseth me must give and hazard all he hath."
Riddle #3. Which suitor will get Portia’s hand in marriage?
Answer – The suitor who chose the leaden casket (his name was Bassanio).
The golden casket enclosed a skull in it along with a note saying – “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. The silver casket enclosed a note saying – “Don’t chase elusive goals.” However, the leaden casket enclosed a note saying - "He who chose not by the view, chance as fair and chose as true."
(Also read: 100+ remedies for if your kid often catches cold, cough and fever.)
Let’s move on to some new age riddles and brain teasers for your kids <h2>
Riddle #4. When the car moves right I don’t move. Which tyre am I?
Answer - The spare tyre!
Riddle #5. What has a horn but does not honk?
Answer - A Rhinoceros
Riddle #6. It belongs to you but others use it more than you. What is it?
Answer – Your name
Riddle #7. I begin with T, I end with T and I have T in me. What am I?
Answer - A teapot
Riddle #8. It goes up and down but remains at the same place.
Answer – A flight of stairs
Riddle #9. I have hands but I cannot clap. What am I?
Answer - A clock
Riddle #10. Imagine that you are in the middle of the sea, sailing in a boat. All of a sudden, 2 hungry sharks surround your boat and are trying to feed on you. How will you put a stop to this?
Answer – It’s simple just stop imagining!
Riddle #11. I am a farmer, I have 16 sheep and all but 9 died. How many sheep are left?
Answer – Nine because all BUT 9 died
Riddle #12. There are 12 months in a year out of which 7 months have 31 days. Then how many have 28 days?
Answer – All months have 28 days
Riddle #13. I am an odd number but if you take away one letter I’ll become even. Which number am I?
Answer – Seven (because when we take away the letter ‘s’ it becomes ‘even’)
Riddle #14. It is full of keys but it cannot open any door. What is it?
Answer – A piano
Riddle #15. When you say my name I disappear. What am I?
Answer – Silence
Riddle #16. Anyone can catch it, but no one can throw it. What is it?
Answer – A cold
Riddle #17. Which two things can never be had for breakfast?
Answer – Lunch and dinner
Riddle #18. John’s mother had 4 children. The first one was named Monday. The second one was named Tuesday, and the third one was named Wednesday. What is the fourth child named?
Answer - John, because John’s mother had 4 children!
Riddle #19. I am dry when I go in; I’m wet when I come out. The longer I’m in, the stronger I’ll get. What am I?
Answer – A tea bag
Riddle #20. It has no life, yet it can die, what is it?
Answer – A battery
Riddle #21. Which 2 keys can’t open any door?
Answer – A donKEY and a monKEY.
Riddle #22. Name 3 consecutive days without using the words Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday?
Answer – Yesterday, today & tomorrow
Riddle #23. Which 5 letter word becomes shorter when two letters are added to it?
Answer – Short, because when you add two letters ‘er’ it becomes ‘ShortER’
Riddle #24. You can hold me without ever touching me with your hands. What am I?
Answer - Your breath
Riddle #25. People buy me to eat but they never eat me. What am I?
Answer – A plate
Riddle #26. Why are teddy bears never hungry?
Answer – Because they are stuffed
Riddle #27. This bank never had any money in it. Which bank is this?
Answer – The riverbank
Riddle #28. It is a fruit, it is a bird and it is also a person. What is it?
Answer – Kiwi
Riddle #29. Two boys played 4 games of checkers. Each boy won the same number of games but there were no ties. How did this happen?
Answer - The two boys were not playing with each other!
Riddle #30. If a house key opens a house and, a car key opens a car then what opens a banana?
Answer - A monkey
In the end:
Why should kids have all the fun? Parents can have just as much fun with these riddles by using them as party games or on family night. To make thing all the more fun you can change the names in the riddles with people in your family. Read them, print them, share them and make it a smart summer for your little ones!