Riddles have been around since the beginning of time, literally since the early 18th century. They are timeless and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. 

Using riddles with kids can enhance critical thinking skills, spark imagination, and bring together your family. 

Can you say family riddle night? Better yet, if you pack your child’s lunch, send them one on an index card. What a great surprise and a way for kids to be productively occupied at lunch. I am totally speaking as a teacher because lunchroom = mayhem. So, help a teacher out – thank you on behalf of all of us!

“What am I?” riddles for kids are great brain teasers to get the brain thinking laterally, thinking outside of the box. No rapid-fire question and answer session here, it’s all about problem-solving from a creative perspective. 

Problem-solving is a skill all children should have, and it breeds persistence and perseverance, great qualities to have in our on-demand, instant gratification world.

Check out this list of 27 “What am I?” riddles for kids ages 5 through 10 to get you started.

  1. I can be made of straw, sticks, or bricks. Pigs helped build me. A wolf tried blowing me down. What am I?
    Answer: A house.
  2. A rock can break me. Paper covers the rock. I am no match for paper. What am I?
    Answer: Scissors
  3. I am full of keys, but I cannot open any doors. I can be noisy. What am I?
    Answer: A piano
  4. I have 2 hands, but I can’t clap. I have numbers 1-12. What am I?
    Answer: A clock
  5. I do not like things here and there. I do not like them anywhere. Do I like green eggs and ham? Who am I?
    Answer: Sam or Sam I Am
  6. Children usually try to climb on me. I can change with the seasons. Birds and bees like to make a home in me. What am I?
    Answer: A tree
  7. I live in your body and beat nonstop. I do not like to be broken. I am the symbol of love. What am I?
    Answer: The heart
  8. Old MacDonald had one. I come from an animal that lives on a farm. I can be in many different colors. Babies like to drink what comes out of me. What am I?
    Answer: A cow
  9. Waking you up when the sun starts to rise is what I do best. I do not lay eggs. Sometimes I can be mean if other animals mess with my family. What am I?
    Answer: A rooster
  10. I have a sibling. We were born on the same day and the same year but at different times. What are we called?
    Answer: Twins
  11. I come down in cats and dogs and in buckets, but I never go back up. The old man was snoring and bumped his head because of me. What am I?
    Answer: Rain
  12. Mary is my best friend, but she always leaves me to go to school. I can be found on farms. You can make clothing from my fleece. What am I?
    Answer: A lamb (or sheep)
  13. Some people say I grow on trees. Sometimes they say, “I make the world go round.” If I am paper, I am green. I can be used to buy stuff. What am I?
    Answer: Money  
  14. Night or day, I live in the sky. You can see me better at night. People like to wish upon me. What am I?
    Answer: A star
  15. You can’t see me, but you can certainly catch me. You can’t touch or hold me. What am I?
    Answer: A cold
  16. Clap your hands, stomp your feet, shout hooray, when you feel this way. What am I?
    Answer: Happy
  17. ROY G. BIV is my name. Some say I have a pot of gold at the end of me. What am I?
    Answer: A rainbow
  18. I won’t cry when you take my skin off, but you will cry. Sometimes I am sweet. I am a vegetable. What am I?
    Answer: An onion
  19. I am a fruit. You can eat me when I am green or red. I can be eaten whole or mushed up. You can put me on a hamburger. You can put me on top of spaghetti. What am I?
    Answer: A tomato
  20. I am full of holes, but I can hold a lot of water. I can be found in a kitchen and found in the ocean. What am I?
    Answer: A sponge
  21. There are two siblings. When you ask them their ages, one says, “I am thirty” and the other one says, “I am thirty, too”.
    What are we? Answer: Twins
  22. I told my fair lady that I was falling down. They tried to build me up with iron bars. What am I?
    Answer: London Bridge
  23. Humpty Dumpty was my name. I had a great fall and couldn’t be put back together again. What am I?
    Answer: An egg
  24. Even though I am always stuck in a corner, I get to travel the world. What am I?
    Answer: A stamp
  25. I am used at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snack time too. I am bought to eat, but no one eats me! What am I?
    Answer: A plate (or bowl)
  26. The sky is my home, and I am very hot. Don’t look directly at me! Many wear sunglasses when I make my appearance. What am I?
    Answer: The sun
  27. (This has always been my favorite growing up and I take no credit for creating it!) What is black and white and read all over? What am I?
    Answer: A newspaper.

Brain teasers can enhance our usual way of thinking by providing it with some exercise. The old saying goes, “if you don’t use it, you lose it”, so why not challenge our kids to think creatively and out of the box more often? 

The above is just a sampling of “What am I?” riddles for kids. If you lack some creativity, trust me, I do too more times than not, you can easily find riddles for kids online and in print. Don’t forget, your local library may have riddle books that can be checked out as well!

Want more fun ideas of things to do? Check out other activities with kids.