Hard Riddles for Kids
- 15 riddles
- Ages 9-13
- Answers included
These take longer. Most of them cannot be solved by guessing, only by working through what the clues rule out.
Give them time. The useful part of a hard riddle is the thinking that happens before the answer, so resist handing it over too quickly.
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?
I am not alive, but I grow. I have no lungs, but I need air. What am I?
What can travel around the world while staying in one corner?
I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and water but no fish. What am I?
What can you break without ever touching it?
The person who makes it does not want it. The person who buys it does not use it. The person who uses it never knows. What is it?
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
What has thirteen hearts but no other organs?
I am always coming but never arrive. What am I?
What can fill a room but takes up no space?
What goes through towns and over hills but never moves?
What can you keep after giving it to someone?
I have branches but no leaves, no trunk and no fruit. What am I?
What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
What has one head, one foot and four legs?
Questions about Hard Riddles for Kids
How hard are these riddles?
They suit children aged about nine and above. Younger children can enjoy them with an adult working through the clues alongside them.
What is the best way to solve a hard riddle?
Take each line separately and ask what it rules out. Most hard riddles describe an object in a way that only makes sense once you stop thinking of it literally.
Why do some riddles depend on spelling?
Riddles like the one about the letter M work on how words are written rather than what they mean, which is why saying them aloud makes them harder.
Should I give hints?
Yes, but give a hint about the type of answer rather than the answer itself. Saying 'it is not a living thing' keeps the thinking going.