120+ Best Riddles for Kids and Adults

Riddle expert Michael Fortner gives you a list of fun riddles (and games)

Co-authored by Michael Fortner and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Fact Checked

For Kids

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Adults

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Funny

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Easy

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Tricky

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Math

Riddles can enhance your critical thinking skills, boost your memory, and improve your mood, and lucky for you, we’ve got the perfect variety for both kids and adults! Keep reading for the best riddles, jokes, and brain teasers to challenge your mind and help you pass the time. We’ve also provided the answers so you can test your knowledge and see if you’re on the right track.

Good Riddles and Jokes

Riddle expert Michael Fortner says there are plenty of fun riddles that are good for kids and adults, like the Penn Game, which is a game and a riddle, and Green Glass Door, a riddle where you figure out what can go through a green glass door. Other fun riddles include:

What starts with T, ends with T, and has T in it? A teapot.
What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves? A bank.
What kind of room has no walls, door, or windows? A mushroom.
It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it? Your name.

Section 1 of 6:

Riddles and Jokes for Kids

Charm kids of all ages with these clean riddles and jokes. Cracking a riddle or joke is a great way to bond with kids, promote their creative thinking skills, and diffuse sour moods. Here are some entertaining options that aren’t too difficult:^{[1]
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- What has hands but cannot clap? A clock.
- What’s at the end of a rainbow? The letter W!
- What can you catch but never throw? A cold.
- What has many teeth but cannot bite? A comb.
- What kind of tree can you carry in your hand? A palm.
- What starts with T, ends with T, and has T in it? A teapot.
- What can be touched but can’t be seen? Someone’s heart.
- What has 4 fingers and a thumb, but is not living? A glove.
- How many months have 28 days? Every month has 28 days.
- What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less? A hole.
- What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast? Lunch and dinner.
- What kind of room has no walls, door, or windows? A mushroom.
- If you take off my skin, I won’t cry, but you will! What am I? An onion.
- What is black when it’s clean and white when it’s dirty? A chalkboard.
- I’m orange, I wear a green hat, and I sound like a parrot. What am I? A carrot.^{[2]
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- What’s the longest word in the dictionary? “Smiles,” because there’s a mile between each “s.”
- I make a loud sound when I’m changing. When I do change, I get bigger but weigh less. What am I? Popcorn.
- I love to dance and twist. I shake my tail as I sail away. When I fly, wingless into the sky. What am I? A kite.
- Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it? Corn on the cob.
- You’ll find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. But never Neptune, or Venus. What am I? The letter “R.”

Section 2 of 6:

Riddles and Jokes for Adults

Engage your brain with these riddles and jokes for adults. Solving riddles, jokes, and puzzles can improve your brain function (and keep things entertaining).^{[3]
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- What has 3 letters and starts with gas? Car.
- What is always on its way but never arrives? Tomorrow.
- What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves? A bank.
- What’s always in front of you, but can’t be seen? The future.
- What kind of ship has 2 mates but no captain? A relationship.
- What goes through cities and fields, but never moves? A road.
- What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it? A fire.
- What loses its head in the morning but gets it back at night? A pillow.
- People make me, save me, change me, and raise me. What am I? Money.
- Where is the only place where today comes before yesterday? The dictionary.
- What is it that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either? A lawsuit.
- Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it? Nothing.
- When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account? When it peaks one’s interest.
- What occurs once in a minute, twice in a moment, and never in 1,000 years? The letter “M.”
- No matter how little or how much you use me, you change me every month. What am I? A calendar.
- A man and his boss have the same parents but are not siblings. How is this possible? He’s self-employed.
- Who makes it has no need of it. Who buys it has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it? A coffin.
- What runs, but never walks. Murmurs, but never talks. Has a bed, but never sleeps. And has a mouth, but never eats? A river.
- You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk. But when you look back, you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why? All the people on board are married.
- A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood, or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why doesn’t the man have wet hair? He’s bald.

Section 3 of 6:

Funny Riddles and Jokes

Crack everyone up with these funny riddles and jokes. If you need a quick game to break the ice or pass the time, look no further… these riddles and jokes are sure to make everyone smile! Feel free to slip one into casual conversation to lighten the mood and get the laughs going:^{[5]
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- What has many rings but no fingers? A phone.
- What can you break without touching it? A promise.
- I sometimes run, but I can’t walk. What am I? A nose.
- What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.^{[6]
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- Forward, I am heavy; backward, I am not. What am I? Ton.
- What 2 keys can’t open any door? A monkey and a donkey.^{[7]
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- If 2 snakes marry, what will their towels say? Hiss and hers.
- Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly? Incorrectly.
- Who has married many women but was never married? The priest.
- How can kids drink beer and not get drunk? By sticking to root beer.
- I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I? A kitten.
- What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand? Your left hand.
- What do the letter “t” and an island have in common? They’re both in the middle of water.
- When it is alive, we sing; when it is dead, we clap our hands. What is it? A birthday candle.
- What does a man do only once in his lifetime, but women do once a year after they are 29? Turn 30.
- It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it? A keyboard.
- Paul’s height is six feet, he’s an assistant at a butcher’s shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh? Meat.
- How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it? Concrete floors are very hard to crack.
- Every night I’m told what to do, and each morning I do what I’m told. But I still don’t escape your scold. What am I? An alarm clock.
- I have pointed fangs, and I sit and wait. I have piercing force, and I crunch with weight. I grab my victims, but they do not fight. I join them each with a single, quick bite. What am I? A stapler.
- Pronounced as one letter, and written with three, two letters there are, and two only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black, blue, and gray, I’m read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I? An eye.

Section 4 of 6:

Easy Riddles and Jokes

Turn to these easy riddles and jokes when you want to unwind. Looking for a simple riddle or joke that still packs a punch? Here are some easier options that don’t require you to be a math wizard:^{[8]
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- Which fish costs the most? A goldfish.
- What has a neck but no head? A bottle.
- What has a head but no brain? Lettuce.
- What comes down but never goes up? Rain.
- What goes up, but never comes down? Age.
- What is more useful when it’s broken? An egg.
- Where do you take a sick boat? To the dock-tor.
- What is full of holes but still holds water? A sponge.
- What gets smaller every time it takes a bath? Soap.
- I’m easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I? A feather.
- How do you spell “cow” in 13 letters? See O double you.
- David’s father has 3 sons: Snap, Crackle and _____? David.
- Why do cats make good warriors? Because they’ve got 9 lives.
- What word contains 26 letters but only has 3 syllables? Alphabet.
- Why is Europe like a frying pan? Because it has Greece at the bottom.
- The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I? Footsteps.
- I have a neck, but no head. I have 2 arms, but no hands. What am I? A shirt.
- What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down? SWIMS.
- I’m sweet and cold with a stick to hold; a treat on a hot day, worth more than gold. What am I? A popsicle.
- I’m not a blanket, yet I cover the ground; a crystal from heaven that doesn’t make a sound. What am I? A snowflake.
- A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed for 3 nights and rode out on Friday. How is this possible? His horse’s name is Friday.

Section 5 of 6:

Tricky Riddles and Jokes

Test your knowledge with these tricky riddles and jokes. If you think you’re one smart cookie, try solving any of the challenging riddles and jokes below. They’re great for exercising your brain (or stumping your friends and family):^{[9]
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- What has a bottom at the top? Your legs.
- I have no life, but I can die. What am I? A battery.
- What gets bigger the more you take away? A hole.
- What do you buy to eat but never consume? Cutlery.
- What can go through glass without breaking it? Light.
- I have one eye but am unable to see. What am I? A needle.
- What invention lets you look right through a wall? A window.
- What runs all around a backyard, yet never moves? A fence.
- I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I? A joke.
- It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it? Your name.
- I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I? An echo.
- They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they? Stars.
- If an electric train is traveling south, then which way is the smoke going? There is no smoke—it’s an electric train.
- Two fathers and 2 sons are in a car, yet there are only 3 people in the car. How? They are grandfather, father, and son.
- A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why? He was walking.
- Ask this question all day long, but always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question? What time is it?
- I welcome the day with a show of light, I stealthily came here in the night. I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn, but by noon, alas, I’m gone! What am I? The morning dew.
- Two girls were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, in the same month and year, and yet they’re not twins. How can this be? The 2 babies are 2 of a set of triplets.
- In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver, who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest? The baby of the pregnant lady.
- When you stop to look, you can always see me. But if you try to touch me, you can never feel me. Although you walk towards me, I remain the same distance from you. What am I? The horizon.
- Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible? They all made right-hand turns.

Section 6 of 6:

Math Riddles and Jokes

Challenge your mind with a math riddle or joke. Want to put your critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test? Try any of these math riddles to pass the time and engage your brain:^{[10]
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- What’s a math teacher’s favorite dessert? Pi.
- What’s a single-digit number with no value? Zero.
- What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat? Chicago!
- What makes a circle overqualified? It has 360 degrees!
- If 2 is company and 3 is a crowd, what are 4 and 5? Nine.
- Why didn’t the two 4’s want any dinner? Because they already 8!
- How can you make the equation 81 x 9 = 801 true? Flip it upside-down (108 = 6 x 18).
- I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I? Seven.
- What can you put between 3 and 7 to make a number larger than 3 but smaller than 7? A decimal point (3.7).
- What do the numbers 11, 69, and 88 all have in common? They all read the same way when placed upside down.
- If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this? Zero.
- 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).
- I add 5 to 9 and get 2. The answer is correct, so what am I? A clock. When it’s 9 A.M., adding 5 hours would make it 2 P.M.
- How did the football fan know before the game that the score would be 0-0? The score is always 0-0 before the game starts.
- It takes 6 people 8 hours to build a barn. How long does it take 12 people to build the same barn? None, the barn is already built!
- If you buy a rooster to lay eggs and expect 3 eggs every day, how many eggs will you have after 2 weeks? None, roosters don’t lay eggs!
- How do you make 7 even without adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing? Take the letter “S” off the word “seven,” and you’re left with “even.”
- Rachel goes to the supermarket and buys 10 tomatoes. Unfortunately, on the way back home, all but 9 get ruined. How many tomatoes are left in good condition? Nine.
- A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of 10 years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height? Nine years.
- If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and 2 pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total? 977 animals (100 x 2 = 200; 200 + 800 = 1000; 1000 – 23 = 977).