Looking to train your brain with some easy riddles with answers?

Riddles are great questions to ask and ice breaker games. Trivia is not so different from riddles - and I've written plenty of articles about them, like baby trivia questions and Hamilton trivia questions, so you can trust me to create some easy riddles for you and your friends to enjoy!

Ready? Let's begin.

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Greatest List Of Easy Riddles With Answers

Riddles and brain teasers are great ways to improve your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A brain teaser can be a great puzzle for your brain and a great way to start an engaging conversation. So, I've assembled a list of simple riddles that any person, from a kid to an adult and even those of old age, can enjoy! Can you answer them all?

Contents

5 The Easiest Riddles For Kids That Will Keep Them Entertained (answers supplemented)

These simple riddles are great for asking kids. They all have a simple answer that even older kids can deduce. Watch out, though! These can be hard questions for adults to answer because of their simplicity. Can you answer every tricky riddle included here?

1. How many months of the year have 28 days?

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Answer

All of them

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This one's a hard riddle if you don't pay attention to the wording. You might think this riddle is easy and believe the correct answer is February. However, the question isn't asking which specific month has 28 days in it. All months have 28 days or more - if you want the answer to be February, the question should be, "Which month of the year has only 28 days in it?"

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

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Answer

A clock.

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Everyone loves clever word riddles. Depending on how you think, it can be a tricky riddle or an easy one. Even if this riddle is commonly used, it can be a good way to test if your friends have heard it before. Were you able to get this one?

3. It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?

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Answer

Your name.

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This one's a simple and short riddle, but it'll still get you thinking. A fun riddle is often one in which the answer is so simple that it'll slip by you. That's why riddles for kids are so difficult for adults - they tend to overthink them.

4. If you don't keep me, I'll break. What am I?

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Answer

A promise.

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Word puzzles trap you into thinking with logic when in reality, all you need to do is pay close attention to the wording. If you think literally, you'll take longer to arrive at the answer than thinking about the words themselves. So, how long did it take you to answer this?

5. There's only one word in the dictionary that's spelled wrong. What is it?

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Answer

The word "wrong".

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You might think this is a difficult riddle that forces you to look through a dictionary, but the answer is so simple that a kid can probably find the answer faster than a grown adult. Were you able to find the correct answer?

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5 Hilarious Riddles Ever Created (plus answers!)

Riddles don't all have to be mentally challenging! Sometimes, riddles can be there to make you laugh. These funny riddles have hilarious answers, so relax and enjoy these silly riddles that will help you have fun!

6. What do you call a fairy that has not taken a bath?

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Answer

Stinker bell

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The answers to funny riddles are often puns! Even if you don't get it right, revealing the answer to the person you're asking is still fun. Did you laugh at this one? I hope you did!

7. Why are teddy bears never hungry?

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Answer

Because they are always stuffed

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Admit it: Everyone's had or wanted to have a stuffed animal at least once. If you like teddy bears or plush toys, or know a friend who likes them, try asking them this riddle! It'll make both of you smile.

8. Why was the belt arrested?

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Answer

For holding up the pants

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Suspenders have also been arrested for their hold-up crimes. This one's a fun joke riddle because everyone's had to have worn a belt at some point or other. What other things have been arrested for holding things up? Feel free to alter the riddle to suit you.

9. What is the best cure for dandruff?

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Answer

Baldness

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If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Can't have dandruff without hair, right? Now, riddle me this: What is the best cure for a bad hair day? It won't take you long to find out the answer to that. Baldness may be the miracle cure we've been looking for.

10. What did one potato chip say to the other?

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Answer

Shall we go for a dip

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Science has proven that chips are always more delicious with dip. Don't believe me? Find a bag of chips and give each chip a dip. You'll never go back to eating chips by themselves ever again.

5 Easy Questions for Adults That They Might Find Challenging (answers provided)

Just because this list is about easy riddles doesn't mean they can't provide a challenge! These tricky riddles for adults require an open mind to solve. If you're looking for challenging riddles to ask your adult friends, here are some of the best ones we could find. If you can't find the answers after thinking about them yourself, don't worry! We've included the answers for you.

11. What is full of holes but still holds water?

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Answer

A sponge.

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You've probably already heard this one before, but it doesn't hurt to check if your friends have. Well-known riddles like this can be followed up with less common ones to keep them on their toes. Perfect for a riddle game night!

12. What question can you never answer yes to?

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Answer

Are you asleep yet?

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This one's totally true unless you talk in your sleep, that is! Similarly, you can phrase this riddle as "What can you only answer no to?" Be prepared for your friends to make several guesses with this - some other questions can fit the bill, but those aren't the answer you want.

13.What is always in front of you but can't be seen?

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Answer

The future.

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Another possible answer to this riddle could be air, but the only thing that truly can't be seen under any circumstances is indeed the future. The future is the answer to many common riddles, so you want to make sure to word it carefully, so it isn't given away immediately.

14. What gets wet while drying?

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Answer

A towel.

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This is another riddle where you have to pay attention to the wording! If you take it at face value, it seems nonsensical. But when you read it carefully, it becomes simple to answer. Were you able to get the correct answer?

15. I shave every day, but my beard stays the same. What am I?

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Answer

A barber.

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Barbers often have beards and shave others' beards all the time. Even if you are a clean-shaven barber, you can still shave others' beards daily, and your (lack of a) beard will stay the same. It makes perfect sense!

If you're struggling to come up with your own riddles, why don't you try some of these? These are popular and well-known, but that doesn't mean they're boring. They're perfect for filling the space between riddles of your own - and also great for giving your friends a wisdom check to see if they've heard it before. So, here are some of the most popular and well-known riddles!

16. The rich men want it, the wise men know it, the poor all need it, and the kind men show it.

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Answer

Love

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Ah, love. The most highly-sought thing in this world. Being so well-known despite being abstract, it's a common answer to some riddles. When you ask them this riddle, remind yourself to show some love to your friends for being there.

17. I work when I play and play when I work.

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Answer

Musician

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If I had a job where I played whenever I worked, I'd love it. But is it really a job if you have a blast doing it? If your passion is music and you enjoy doing it full-time, I salute you - you're having the time of your life!

18. I look at you, you look at me. I raise my right hand, you raise your left hand. What am I?

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Answer

Mirror

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Another possible answer to this could be a mime, a good one at least. Still, a mirror is a correct answer here. Everyone's used a mirror before, so they can easily answer this themselves. This one's a popular riddle to ask.

19. What goes up the hill and down the hill, And spite of all, yet standeth still?

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Answer

Road

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Rhyming riddles are like little word puzzles - they try to confuse you by making you think too hard about their wording. With a broad perspective, you can easily see through their attempts to shadow their answer, so don't get lost in those words and have an open mind!

20. The root tops the trunk on this backward thing that grows in the winter and dies in the spring.

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Answer

Icicle

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If this wording confuses you, here's how I see it: "The root is above the trunk on this upside-down thing, and grows in winter, but dies in the spring." When you think of it like that, the answer becomes more obvious. The only things that grow in winter are ice-related things, after all!

5 Brain Teasers You Can Answer with No Sweat (with answers)

Riddles are exceptional brain teasers because they force you to use your brain to think of what they're describing. Some are very hard, while others are pretty simple. No matter how difficult or easy, they're fun ways to train your brain! Here are some of the easier ones we could find in this list - they may be on the easy side of the spectrum, but they're still fun to try and answer. So, try out some of these brain teasers that you can answer, no sweat!

21. What is harder to catch the faster you run?

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Answer

Your breath

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If you've ever run fast before, you know how hard it is to catch your breath. Those with an athletic streak will find this easy to answer, as long as they pay attention to the wording. Do you know what's also harder to catch the faster you run? A break!

22. What fastens two people yet touches only one?

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Answer

A wedding ring

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A wedding ring symbolizes the union between two people but can only fit on one person's finger. Technically, an engagement ring can also apply, but the wedding ring represents a more permanent union than an engagement ring could.

23. What can be swallowed but can also swallow you?

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Answer

Pride

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Have you ever heard of the saying, "pride before a fall"? If you swallow it, you can avoid the fall - but if you don't, it will consume you instead. Pride and hubris go hand in hand, so temper yourself lest you take a bad fall.

24. Which three letters can frighten a thief away?

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Answer

ICU

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No thief wants to be discovered after all! Most people are also scared of the ICU in a hospital. But no, the answer is a pun - thieves don't want to be seen, so when they are, they run away!

25. What rocks but does not roll?

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Answer

A rocking chair.

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At least I've never seen a rocking chair roll! The way this riddle is phrased makes you want to think about music and may send you down a wrong train of thought trying to answer it. All you need to pay attention to is the first part.

4 'What am I' Puzzles That Will Get Everyone Thinking

What am I? A question many puzzles pose. What am I riddles task you to picture the answer to the question - and if you've got the right answer, it means you pictured it perfectly. So, try to find out what these are before you look at the answers!

26. I can be cracked, I can be played, I can be told, I can be made. What am I?

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Answer

A joke

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This one's an easy riddle because young kids all love a good joke. Funny riddles are great to ask kids about because they make them laugh and have fun trying to solve them. As such, they are the best riddles to ask a child.

27. I'm tall when I'm young and short when I'm old. What am I?

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Answer

A candle

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Everyone shrinks in old age, so many people might go for the obvious answer and say, "people." But then, that wouldn't make for a good riddle, would it? You must think outside the box to arrive at the correct answer.

28. I have a head and a tail that will never see. You can always have too many of me. What am I?

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Answer

A coin

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The first sentence is all you need; the rest is just fluff. Whenever heads and tails come up in a conversation, people will almost always assume coins, as humans don't have tails. Still, try disguising the riddle a bit, and even this simple conclusion may be harder to reach.

29. I am so fragile; saying my name will break me. What am I?

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Answer

Silence

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Saying the word, "Silence" seems like an oxymoron. When you say it, you're actually doing the opposite of what the word implies. Still, it's a great subject for riddles. Riddle me this: What grows more the less you say?

Downloadable and Printable List of Easy Riddles With Answers

Here is a downloadable and printable jpg/pdf list of easy riddles with answers (right-click the image and select Save Image As...):

Why Are Riddles Good For The Brain? 3 Benefits

Riddles are great for training your brain, sharpening your critical thinking, and honing your mastery of wordplay. But, do you know why they're so good for you? I've listed a few major benefits of asking and answering riddles here, but be reminded that they're good for so many things it's hard to list them all.

1. They broaden your perspective.

The thing about riddles is that they're very rarely literal. Riddles trick you with word puzzles and vague descriptions, forcing you into thinking with a broad mindset to try and answer them correctly. Even the riddles with simpler answers out there force you to follow a long train of thought to arrive at their answers. So, riddles are good for opening your mind to all possibilities.

2. They make you think outside the box.

Challenging riddles have answers that, while sometimes obvious, aren't obvious to people who take the riddle at face value. Often, the obviousness of the answer is only noticeable when you think differently from how you usually would. To arrive at the peculiar logic the riddle follows, you'll have to think outside the box to reach the proper conclusion.

3. They make you pay attention.

Riddles are also sometimes word puzzles, which try to lead you down a specific train of thought - usually the wrong one. Because of that, paying close attention to the wording of the riddles is the key to finding the correct answer. If you swallow the words of the riddle at face value, you might end up down the wrong train of thought - so word riddles are helpful ways of making you pay attention to the words themselves. If you've paid attention to the riddle's literary conventions, then it becomes easier to answer!

Other Activities That Will Make Your Mind Busy

Solving riddles isn't the only way you can keep your brain occupied! Other brain-stimulating activities exist. Puzzles are great for stimulating your thinking.

Puzzles have taken on many shapes and designs over the years, but all these variations' end goal is the same; improving a certain brain process, whether critical thinking, memory, or creativity. So, here are some other puzzle-like activities that will help you train your brain!

1. Crossword Puzzles

Crossword puzzles are like riddles, except there are multiple riddles all at once, and they all connect via the answers' letters. Because of this, crossword puzzles are extremely helpful for testing your overall knowledge and ability to discover the answers through small clues. If you have free time after reading your favorite newspaper, do try the crossword puzzles.

Both will improve your overall knowledge!

2. Sudoku

Despite the Japanese name, Sudoku wasn't invented in Japan. It was created by Howard Garns, a retired architect from Indiana. It went by the name Number Place and eventually soared in popularity, especially in Japan, where the term Sudoku was coined.

The objective of Sudoku is to fill a 9x9 square with numbers. This 9x9 square is split into numerous 3x3 squares, nine in total. Each 3x3 square can only contain numbers 1 to 9, and one must ensure each column and row does not contain the same number twice.

Despite playing with numbers, Sudoku isn't math - it's a puzzle where one must be careful not to use the same number twice. Sudoku is great for training your critical thinking with numerous ways to approach the puzzle.

3. Chess

Chess is seen as an intellectual game and certainly lives up to that. One must think carefully and plan their moves in advance to corner the opponent's king, all while an intelligent opponent tries to do the same to you. In a way, it's similar to a war game - one must take careful note of troops and what they can do and try to minimize casualties as it will make it easier to checkmate the king.

Because of that, chess is a way to improve both players' tactics and strategy - and improve their ability to plan things in advance or respond to their opponent's moves. Thus, chess is an incredibly fun and challenging game for the brain.

4. Jigsaw Puzzles

Unlike the other entries in this section, Jigsaw Puzzles don't train your knowledge or critical thinking but instead improve your visual senses and memory. In a jigsaw puzzle, you are tasked to form a perfect square or rectangle with a set number of pieces. These pieces only have their shapes as a clue - no numbers or markings indicate which piece goes where.

Jigsaw puzzles train your ability to form a picture in your brain and use the pieces afforded to you to construct that image with only visual clues. It also helps train your ability to memorize the image you've formed of the end product.

5. Memory Test Games

There are multiple ways to train your memory, and memory test games exist by the number to help train that ability. The Grocery List game takes your shopping list and makes a small game out of it, tasking you with memorizing what items you need and their quantities. Spot the Difference has you try to find the differences between two images.

Multiplication Tables can be solved naturally, but memorizing them is simply faster for most math students. There are many ways to train your memory, from simple tasks to complicated puzzles - you just have to give it some tries to reap the benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

After reading this article, you must have had plenty of opportunities to stimulate your brain through all the riddles we've assembled. Are you interested in finding more riddles or coming up with your own? If so, I've answered some helpful frequently asked questions about making and understanding riddles. These should help you get a headstart!

What is the purpose of a riddle?

Naturally, riddles are made to stimulate the mind. Their focus on wordplay, abstract or vague descriptions, and unusual trains of thought make the person who's asked think hard about the proper answer. Because of that, they're great brain teasers and brain trainers for everyone.

How do you make a riddle?

When making your riddle, the idea is to think of the answer first before the question. First, select the subject of your riddle. Then, try to find out as much about it as you can. Find out something true about the subject, then use clever wordplay to form a question about that fact. It takes some practice to make some good riddles, so keep trying until you can make a difficult riddle to answer!

Do riddles have to rhyme?

Not all riddles have to rhyme! Rhyming riddles are just a means to confuse the one being asked, to shadow the answer from their view. If you can make it rhyme, you are making it harder to answer - but some questions don't have to rhyme to be difficult. Do it only if you want to, or want to practice your rhyming skills.

How do I teach my child to write riddles?

The best way is to get them acquainted with riddles early on. Buy them a book of riddles to start, and let them learn on their own about them, providing advice when needed. After they've collected enough experience and familiarity with riddles, you can start to help them create their own - and in time, they'll be able to make their own riddles, which they'll undoubtedly ask you!

Does solving riddles make you smarter?

Riddles are brain training exercises designed to make you think differently about how you approach a question. They broaden your perspective and encourage you to think outside the box. So, they can help you become smarter by changing your thinking! Solving riddles proves that you're capable of alternative thinking, thereby making you smarter.

When is the best time to play riddles with friends?

The best time to play riddles with your friends is when nothing's happening, and everyone has attention to spare. During a moment when you've got nothing planned, ask your friends a few riddles - whether the riddles are simple or difficult, it'll take plenty of thinking for them to answer. Perfect for making use of their time!

Are riddles effective icebreakers at a party?

When there's a lull in the activity and no one's rushing to fill it, riddles can be a great way to pass the time. After meeting a few new faces at a party, once you've gotten the introductions out of the way, one can enjoy a fun brain teaser to get to know them - and what they know better.

More Awesome Riddles to Trick A Kid With

Those were some fun riddles to answer! Were you able to get them all correct? If you enjoyed the article but still haven't had enough, don't worry - we've got plenty more riddles for you to answer. Why not check out some of these articles about more riddles? These are some of the best that any kid or adult can enjoy!

  1. "What am I?" riddles are fun riddles to answer. Try to find out the thing being described!
  2. Want to stimulate your brain further? We have some clever riddles for you, perfect for the smart ones out there!
  3. Lastly, would you like to finish it off with some fun riddles that anyone can enjoy?

Conclusion

There are plenty of easy riddles with answers out there, and while they're all simple, they're no less fun to ask. If you're fond of riddles and word games, then hopefully, this article was helpful to you. You'll never have a dull moment with friends ever again, now that you've got plenty of interesting riddles to ask them!