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Top 20 Math Riddles for Children with Answers

Are you looking for some brain teasers and math riddles for children? Great! You are at the right place. Math riddles are great for developing problem-solving skills as well as getting used to numbers and math in general. Math questions can be scary, but math riddles are fun! If you are teaching or raising kids and you want them to have fun while doing an educational activity, then try our top 20 math riddles for kids. They all come with answers!

math riddles for kids with answers

Math Riddles for Kids with Answers

What are Math Riddles?

Are you familiar with riddles but not so much with math riddles? Math riddles are great activities for children and ESL students. They are similar to regular riddles but are a bit different because math riddles focus more on numbers and mathematical concepts. It is a great way for children to play with math terminologies, develop critical thinking skills, and have fun by challenging themselves.

If children often get exposed to fun and challenging math riddles, they will be less scared of math. Why? Because riddles are not exams. Kids have unlimited guesses to make until they get the answer right. So, if they train with challenging and tricky math questions and get rid of the fear of math, this will have a positive impact on kids solving actual math problems. They will not be scared of attacking a challenging math question! Now, let’s get into the best math riddles for children.

Math Riddles for Children with Answers

Check out the top 20 math riddles for kids. Some of these math riddles are quite tricky! Are you smart enough to answer all of these math riddles correctly? Start challenging yourself!

easy and tricky math riddles for children

Easy & Tricky Math Riddles for Children

Easy Math Riddles for Children

Try solving the easier math riddles first.

  1. Riddle: Tommy has 20 balloons for his party. He burst 7 of them. How many balloons are left?
    Answer: 13 balloons
  2. Riddle: I had $10 and went shopping. I bought each member of my family: brother, sister, father, mother, and myself an ice cream for $1 each. How much money do I have left?
    Answer: $5
  3. Riddle: What’s the next number? 1, 3, 6, 10, _.
    Answer: 15
  4. Riddle: It takes James 10 minutes to walk to school and 10 minutes to walk home. How many minutes does he spend walking to and from school each day?
    Answer: 20 minutes
  5. Riddle: In the hockey game, Auston scored more points than Bobby. Bobby scored more points than Timmy. Who got the most points? Who got the least?
    Answer: Auton – most points, Timmy – least points
  6. Riddle: You thought you had 62 paper clips. You cleaned your room and could only find 48. How many paper clips are missing?
    Answer: 14
  7. Riddle: What’s the favourite season of a math teacher?
    Answer: SUMmer
  8. Riddle: What is the next number? 60,000, 5,000, 400, __?
    Answer: 30
  9. Riddle: No matter what number you multiply by me, the answer will be the same. What number am I?
    Answer: 0
  10. Riddle: Why was 6 scared of 7?
    Answer: seven ate nine (7, 8, 9)
math riddles for kids with answers

Math Riddles for Children with Answers

Tricky Math Brain Teasers for Kids

How were the easy ones? Not too bad? Then, try solving the more difficult math riddles!

  1. Riddle: At what point do Fahrenheit and Celsius meet?
    Answer: -40
  2. Riddle: There is a pizza for 6 people to share equally with 12 pieces. How many pieces does each person get?
    Answer: 2 pieces each
  3. Riddle: At the theatre concession, a small popcorn costs $5. A medium popcorn costs $7. A large popcorn costs $8. What’s the best value?
    Answer: large popcorn
  4. Riddle: What is the only number spelled with the letters in alphabetical order?
    Answer: forty
  5. Riddle: A 20-year-old man has had only five birthdays. How is that possible?
    Answer: He was born on the leap year (February 29)
  6. Riddle: Mr. Lee has 6 sons. Each of his sons has a sister. How many children does Mr. Lee have?
    Answer: 7, all sons have the same sister
  7. Riddle: You have 110 tickets to the fair. Each ride costs 5 tickets. How many rides can you go on?
    Answer: 22
  8. Riddle: How many lives are cats said to have?
    Answer: 9 lives
  9. Riddle: During what month do people sleep the least?
    Answer: February (it has the fewest days)
  10. Riddle: What’s the next number? 0, 20, 2, 18, 4, 16, _?
    Answer: 6

FAQs About Math Riddles for Children

Check out the most frequently asked questions about math riddles for kids.

What are some good math riddles?

Some of the best math riddles:

  • What’s the next number? 0, 2, 5, 9, _? (Answer: 14)
  • How many seconds are there in a year? Hint: You don’t need a calculator. (Answer: 24, each month has a 2nd and 22nd)
  • What weighs more? A pound of feathers or a pound of bricks. (Answer: both weigh the same, a pound)

What is a fun middle school math riddle?

Fun math riddles for middle school students:

  • It is 10:15, but Tom feels hungry and asks his teacher when lunch is. At 12:00, the teacher says. How long does Tom have to wait? (Answer: 1 hour 45 minutes)
  • When can you add 2 to 11 and get 1 as the correct answer? (Answer: 11:00 + 2 hours = 1:00)
  • What does ‘giga’ refer to? (Answer: billion)

How do you make math fun for kids?

Kids are often scared of math. Some of the questions can be tough and can be overwhelming. This can lead to the fear of math for kids. A good way to make math a good friend of kids is to play with math riddles. By solving fun and tricky math riddles, children will get used to numbers and gradually get rid of the fear. Math riddles provide kids with the joy of achievement and help them develop problem-solving skills and critical-thinking skills.

Fun Math Riddles: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts on these fun and tricky math riddles for children? Did you get all the questions right? Which one was the most challenging one? Try these math riddles with your kids or students, and let us know how it went. We’d love to hear from you!

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 15 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 60 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults. She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

You can find her on social media at:
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