Jokes and riddles for kids to read aloud, plus a new joke every day

Jokes and riddles are one of the best ways to get a child reading aloud, because the reader has to get the timing right. Below are clean ones to try at the table or in the car, with answers. At the end is the joke book on Peabody, where a new joke appears every day and can be read aloud.

Jokes for kids

Read the first line, wait, then the punchline. Most children laugh hardest at the pause.

1. Why did the cookie go to the doctor? It felt a little crumbly.
2. What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear.
3. Why did the math book look sad? It had too many problems.
4. What do you call a sleeping dinosaur? A dino-snore.
5. What did one wall say to the other? Meet you at the corner.
6. Why can't you give Elsa a balloon? Because she will let it go.
7. What kind of tree fits in your hand? A palm tree.
8. Why did the scarecrow win an award? He was outstanding in his field.

Riddles for kids

Give the riddle, then let the child guess. Offer a hint if they're stuck: "It's in your kitchen."

1. What has keys but can't open a single lock? A piano.
2. What gets wetter the more it dries? A towel.
3. What has to be broken before you can use it? An egg.
4. What has a head and a tail but no body? A coin.
5. What has many teeth but can't bite? A comb.
6. What runs all around a town but never moves? A road.

Tip for grown-ups: if a riddle is too hard, change the question. "What has a head and a tail?" is easier to start with than "What has no body?"

A joke for every day

Every day on Peabody there's a new joke of the day, and the joke book keeps the earlier ones. A grown-up can turn jokes off for a child, and the page says so if they have. Each one is read aloud, with a button to tell it to someone else. It's free, with no sign-up.

Find it in Silly Stuff, on the Art Studio page. The joke book keeps each day's joke, so a child can go back and read the ones they missed.

Why jokes help a child read

A joke is short, funny and worth reading twice. Children who would rather not read a page will often read a joke, because they want to get to the punchline. Read a joke, then ask the child to read the next one. Writing one joke on a card for the child to read gives them a reason to read it.

Stories do the same job at a longer length. When a child is ready for more, the library has stories sorted by reading level, from the very first reader to longer chapter books, so the next step is easy to find.

Ways to make it a game

• Joke swap. Each person at dinner tells one joke, and the others guess the punchline first.
• Riddle chain. Ask one riddle, and the next person must make up their own.
• Read it, then draw it. A child who likes drawing can draw the joke's picture, using the coloring pages or a blank page.

Reading practice in disguise

Jokes repeat words, so they're a good way to practise reading without a worksheet. A child who can read "What do you call a sleeping dinosaur?" is reading the same short words again and again. For a child just starting out, free reading games and the sight word game give the same kind of repetition.

Questions parents ask

Are these jokes clean?

Yes. These are chosen to be fine for young children. Some jokes that are fine for an older child may not be fine for a younger one, so check before you read a new one aloud.

What age are riddles for?

Most riddles here suit a child from about five, once they can follow a simple idea. Start with the easy ones and add harder ones as the child enjoys guessing.

Is the joke book free?

Yes. The joke of the day and the joke book are free through 31 December 2026, with no sign-up.