Who said math has to be boring? When numbers meet riddles, something magical happens. Math riddles with answers for kids turn everyday math concepts into exciting challenges that make kids think, laugh, and learn all at once.
These riddles are designed to spark curiosity and sharpen problem-solving skills without feeling like a test.
Whether it’s logic, counting, addition, or patterns, every riddle here offers a playful mystery for kids to unravel. So gather around and let’s dive into a world where math meets imagination!
33 Math Riddles with Answers for Kids
1. Riddle:
What has numbers but can’t be used for math?
- Answer: A phone
- Explanation: It has a keypad full of numbers, but they aren’t meant for calculations—just dialing.
2. Riddle:
I am a three-digit number. My tens digit is five more than my ones digit. My hundreds digit is eight less than my tens digit. What number am I?
- Answer: 194
- Explanation: The ones digit is 4, the tens is 4 + 5 = 9, and the hundreds is 9 – 8 = 1.
3. Riddle:
If two’s company and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?
- Answer: Nine
- Explanation: It’s a playful math riddle that turns into a basic addition problem.
4. Riddle:
I am an odd number. Take away one letter, and I become even. What am I?
- Answer: Seven
- Explanation: Remove the ‘s’ and you’re left with “even.”
5. Riddle:
How many sides does a circle have?
- Answer: Two – inside and outside
- Explanation: A trick question—circles don’t have sides in geometry, but this riddle takes a different angle.
6. Riddle:
What two numbers multiply to make 16 and add to make 10?
- Answer: 2 and 8
- Explanation: 2 × 8 = 16 and 2 + 8 = 10.
7. Riddle:
I am a number you get when you add the sides of a triangle. What number am I?
- Answer: It depends on the triangle
- Explanation: This teaches kids that the answer varies—good for understanding that not all riddles have a fixed number answer.
8. Riddle:
What comes before 7 and after 5, but isn’t 6?
- Answer: The word “and”
- Explanation: It’s about the sentence structure, not the numbers themselves.
9. Riddle:
I’m a number between 10 and 20. Take away half of me and you get 5. What number am I?
- Answer: 10
- Explanation: Half of 10 is 5, and 10 is between 10 and 20.
10. Riddle:
What’s the smallest whole number that’s equal to the sum of its digits multiplied by 2?
- Answer: 18
- Explanation: 1 + 8 = 9, and 9 × 2 = 18.
11. Riddle:
You can count me, add me, and divide me. But if you try to subtract me from myself, I disappear. What am I?
- Answer: A number
- Explanation: Any number minus itself equals zero.
12. Riddle:
If 1 = 5, 2 = 10, 3 = 15, 4 = 20, then 5 = ?
- Answer: 1
- Explanation: It’s a pattern reversal. The first line says 1 = 5, so the last line flips it.
13. Riddle:
I double when you add one to me, but I’m still even. What am I?
- Answer: 1
- Explanation: 1 + 1 = 2, which is even. The trick is that 1 alone isn’t even, but the result is.
14. Riddle:
If you multiply me by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number am I?
- Answer: 0
- Explanation: Anything times 0 is 0.
15. Riddle:
What is the next number in this pattern: 2, 4, 8, 16, __?
- Answer: 32
- Explanation: It’s doubling each time: 2 × 2 = 4, 4 × 2 = 8, and so on.
16. Riddle:
I’m a number with a couple of friends. Quarter a dozen, and you’ll find me again. What am I?
- Answer: 3
- Explanation: A quarter of 12 (a dozen) is 3.
17. Riddle:
What number do you get when you multiply all the numbers on a phone keypad?
- Answer: 0
- Explanation: Because of the 0 key—multiplying anything by 0 gives 0.
18. Riddle:
I’m less than 100, divisible by 5, and end in a 0. But I’m not a multiple of 20. What am I?
- Answer: 10, 30, 50, 70, or 90
- Explanation: These numbers fit all the clues given.
19. Riddle:
I’m a number you see on a clock, and when you multiply me by 2, I’m still on the clock. What am I?
- Answer: 6
- Explanation: 6 × 2 = 12, and both 6 and 12 are on an analog clock.
20. Riddle:
What’s the value of Pi?
- Answer: About 3.14
- Explanation: A good way to sneak in a math fact with a fun twist.
21. Riddle:
What has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three in the evening?
- Answer: A human
- Explanation: A baby crawls (4 legs), an adult walks (2 legs), and an elder may use a cane (3 legs).
22. Riddle:
If you have two apples and take away one, how many do you have?
- Answer: One
- Explanation: You’re left with the one you took away—tricky phrasing!
23. Riddle:
A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. You eat 3. What fraction is left?
- Answer: 5/8
- Explanation: 3 out of 8 are eaten, so 5 out of 8 remain.
24. Riddle:
What has digits but isn’t alive?
- Answer: A calculator
- Explanation: “Digits” means fingers, but also numbers—wordplay!
25. Riddle:
How many times can you subtract 5 from 25?
- Answer: Once
- Explanation: After the first subtraction, it’s no longer 25.
26. Riddle:
I am a number. Multiply me by 4 and you get the same as adding me to 30. What number am I?
- Answer: 10
- Explanation: 10 × 4 = 40 and 10 + 30 = 40.
27. Riddle:
If I have five eggs and I break two, cook two, and eat two, how many eggs do I have?
- Answer: Three
- Explanation: You can cook and eat the same two eggs, so only two are used up.
28. Riddle:
What comes after a million?
- Answer: A billion
- Explanation: A simple fact kids often love to know in progression.
29. Riddle:
If you divide 30 by half and add 10, what do you get?
- Answer: 70
- Explanation: Dividing by 0.5 is the same as multiplying by 2: 30 ÷ 0.5 = 60, then add 10.
30. Riddle:
What 3-digit number reads the same upside down?
- Answer: 181
- Explanation: When flipped, 1 and 8 look the same. Palindromes add a twist!
31. Riddle:
What is heavier: a pound of feathers or a pound of bricks?
- Answer: Neither
- Explanation: A pound is a pound, no matter the material.
32. Riddle:
Two fathers and two sons went fishing. They caught three fish and took one each. How is that possible?
- Answer: It was a grandfather, his son, and his grandson
- Explanation: Only three people, but still two fathers and sons.
33. Riddle:
What 4-digit number ends in zero, and the first three digits add up to 6?
- Answer: 1230
- Explanation: 1 + 2 + 3 = 6, and the number ends in 0.
Conclusion
Math doesn’t have to be a bunch of worksheets—it can be a fun, curious adventure filled with riddles and surprises. These math riddles with answers for kids are a great way to sneak learning into playtime, helping children build number sense and critical thinking while having a blast.
Which riddle did your child enjoy the most? Do you have a math riddle of your own to share? Let us know in the comments and join the fun!
Now it’s your turn—share this post and challenge your friends or students with your favorite riddle!