Math riddles for kids
Tap a riddle to see the answer
🌱 Kindergarten to 2nd grade
I am a number. Add me to myself and you get 8. What number am I?
4
4 + 4 = 8.I am bigger than 5 and smaller than 7. What number am I?
6
6 is the only whole number between 5 and 7.A bird has 3 eggs in its nest. Another bird gives it 4 more. How many eggs are in the nest now?
7
3 + 4 = 7.I am the number that comes just after 9. What number am I?
10
When you count up from 9, the next number is 10.There are 9 ducks on a pond. 4 of them swim away. How many ducks are left on the pond?
5
9 - 4 = 5.A cat has 4 legs. How many legs do 2 cats have all together?
8
4 + 4 = 8, so two cats have 8 legs.I am a number. Take away 2 from me and you get 1. What number am I?
3
3 - 2 = 1, so the number is 3.A triangle has 3 sides. How many sides do 3 triangles have all together?
9
3 + 3 + 3 = 9.There are 8 red balloons and 5 blue balloons. How many balloons are there all together?
13
8 + 5 = 13.I am double 6. What number am I?
12
Double means add it to itself: 6 + 6 = 12.A garden has 14 flowers. 3 of them are red and the rest are yellow. How many flowers are yellow?
11
14 - 3 = 11.I am an even number between 11 and 15. I am not 12. What number am I?
14
The even numbers between 11 and 15 are 12 and 14, and it is not 12.
🌳 3rd to 5th grade
I am a two-digit number. My digits add up to 9, and I am 5 times 9. What number am I?
45
5 × 9 = 45, and 4 + 5 = 9.A farm has 6 hens. Each hen lays 2 eggs a day. How many eggs are there after 3 days if nobody takes one?
36
6 × 2 = 12 eggs a day, and 12 × 3 = 36.A rectangle is 7 steps long and 3 steps wide. How many steps is it all the way around?
20
7 + 3 + 7 + 3 = 20.A shelf holds 8 books in each row. There are 7 rows. How many books fit on the shelf?
56
8 × 7 = 56.A film starts at 2 o'clock and ends at 5 o'clock. How many hours does it last?
3
From 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock is 5 - 2 = 3 hours.A pizza is cut into 8 equal slices. Four slices are eaten. What fraction of the pizza is left?
One half
4 of the 8 slices are left, and 4/8 is the same as 1/2.In the number 3,072, the 7 is worth how much?
70
The 7 is in the tens place, so it is worth 7 × 10 = 70.A baker puts 12 cookies in each box. How many cookies are in 5 boxes?
60
12 × 5 = 60.A spider has 8 legs. How many legs do 9 spiders have all together?
72
8 × 9 = 72.Fifty seeds are shared equally by 2 birds. How many seeds does each bird get?
25
50 ÷ 2 = 25.A snail climbs 3 steps each minute. How many steps does it climb in 11 minutes?
33
3 × 11 = 33.A square has sides that are each 6 steps long. How many steps is it all the way around?
24
6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24, which is 4 × 6.A show begins at 3 o'clock and lasts 4 hours. What time does it end?
7 o'clock
3 + 4 = 7, so the show ends at 7 o'clock.There are 100 stickers. Each page holds 10 stickers. How many pages are full?
10
100 ÷ 10 = 10.
🚀 6th to 8th grade
I am a fraction. Double me and you get one half. What am I?
One quarter
1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2.Three whole numbers in a row add up to 30. What is the middle one?
10
9 + 10 + 11 = 30. The middle of three numbers in a row is the total divided by 3.A bag holds 250 beans. A child takes one tenth of them. How many beans does the child take?
25
One tenth of 250 is 250 ÷ 10 = 25.The angles of a triangle add up to 180 degrees. Two of the angles are 70 degrees and 60 degrees. How big is the third angle?
50 degrees
70 + 60 = 130, and 180 - 130 = 50.A pattern starts 3, 6, 12, 24. What number comes next?
48
Each number is double the one before it, and 24 × 2 = 48.Three bags hold 4, 8 and 12 apples. If the apples are shared out so every bag holds the same number, how many apples are in each bag?
8
4 + 8 + 12 = 24, and 24 ÷ 3 = 8.Which prime number is between 20 and 25?
23
21, 22 and 24 can all be divided by something besides 1 and themselves, so 23 is the only prime.A recipe uses 2 cups of flour for every 3 cups of milk. How many cups of flour go with 9 cups of milk?
6
9 is 3 groups of 3 cups, so the flour is 3 groups of 2 cups, which is 6.A box holds 40 crayons. Ten percent of them are broken. How many crayons are broken?
4
Ten percent is one tenth, and 40 ÷ 10 = 4.Which number has exactly these factors: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 18?
18
18 can be divided by 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 18 with nothing left over.A sequence starts at 5 and goes up by 7 each time: 5, 12, 19. What is the fifth number in it?
33
The next numbers are 19 + 7 = 26, then 26 + 7 = 33.A square garden has an area of 49 square steps. How long is one side of it?
7 steps
7 × 7 = 49, so each side is 7 steps long.Three quarters of a class of 20 children walk to school. How many children walk?
15
One quarter of 20 is 5, so three quarters is 5 × 3 = 15.Four jars hold 2, 5, 5 and 8 marbles. What is the average number of marbles in a jar?
5
2 + 5 + 5 + 8 = 20, and 20 ÷ 4 = 5.
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Math riddles by grade
| Grades | How many | What they use | One to try |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten to 2nd grade | 12 | Counting, doubles, bigger and smaller | I am a number. Add me to myself and you get 8. What number am I? |
| 3rd to 5th grade | 14 | Times tables, place value, halves and quarters | I am a two-digit number. My digits add up to 9, and I am 5 times 9. What number am I? |
| 6th to 8th grade | 14 | Fractions, patterns, factors and averages | I am a fraction. Double me and you get one half. What am I? |
How to use them in class
- As a warm-up. Put one on the board while the class settles and take answers on mini whiteboards.
- As an exit ticket. One riddle, one answer, and one line that shows the working.
- Write your own. Change the numbers in a riddle and swap with a partner. The answer has to stay the only answer.
Everything here is free through the end of 2026, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing to download.
Questions teachers and parents ask
How many math riddles are here?
40, written by Peabody and sorted into three grade bands.
Do the math riddles come with answers?
Yes. Each card opens to its answer and one line of working, and the print sheet has all the answers at the end.
What grade are these math riddles for?
Kindergarten to 8th grade. The first group needs only counting and adding to 20; the last uses fractions, patterns and averages.
Are the math riddles free?
Yes. Everything here is free through the end of 2026, with no ads, no sign-up and nothing to download.
Teacher? Share this page to Google Classroom. Children open it with no sign-up.
Checked against how Peabody works on 6 November 2026. Written with help from AI, from Peabody's own code and library. Peabody is a learning app, not an assessment: if you're worried about your child's learning, talk to their teacher. How Peabody's pages are made.