When it comes to keeping curious young minds engaged, Riddles for Upper Elementary are a fun and effective tool.
If you teach or spend time with upper elementary students, you know how much they love a good challenge that makes them think and laugh at the same time.
Imagine us chatting face-to-face—I’m here to share riddles that spark curiosity, boost problem-solving skills, and bring joy to learning.
These riddles aren’t just brain teasers; they’re a playful way to help kids explore, discover, and enjoy every aha! moment along the way.
Let’s dive in!
Logic Riddles for Upper Elementary
- I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. What am I?
Answer: An echo - What has to be broken before you can use it?
Answer: An egg - What gets wetter the more it dries?
Answer: A towel - What has hands but can’t clap?
Answer: A clock - What goes up but never comes down?
Answer: Your age - What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Answer: Your name - What is full of holes but still holds water?
Answer: A sponge - What has one eye but can’t see?
Answer: A needle - What has a thumb and four fingers but isn’t alive?
Answer: A glove - What gets bigger the more you take away?
Answer: A hole - What can travel all over the world while staying in one corner?
Answer: A stamp - What can you hold without touching it?
Answer: A conversation - What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book - What has a bottom at the top?
Answer: Your legs - What begins with T, ends with T, and has T in it?
Answer: A teapot
Math Riddles for Upper Elementary
- I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
Answer: Seven - What three numbers give the same answer when added or multiplied?
Answer: 1, 2, and 3 - What has a face and two hands but no arms or legs?
Answer: A clock - If you buy 3 apples for $3, how much does one apple cost?
Answer: $1 - What number is always tired?
Answer: Four (“four-t”) - How many sides does a circle have?
Answer: Inside and outside - I am greater than 9 but less than 11. What number am I?
Answer: 10 - If two is company and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?
Answer: Nine - What did zero say to eight?
Answer: Nice belt! - What number doubles when turned upside down?
Answer: 6 (becomes 9) - What number can you subtract from itself and still get the same number?
Answer: 0 - What comes after 100 but before 102?
Answer: 101 - What is the smallest whole number?
Answer: 0 - What increases but never decreases?
Answer: Your age - What number is spelled with the same number of letters as the number itself?
Answer: Four
Easy Riddles for Upper Elementary
- What has legs but doesn’t walk?
Answer: A table - What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold - What runs but never walks?
Answer: Water - What has a tail but no body?
Answer: A coin - What has ears but cannot hear?
Answer: Corn - What comes down but never goes up?
Answer: Rain - What can you break without touching?
Answer: A promise - What has a neck but no head?
Answer: A bottle - What is always in front of you but can’t be seen?
Answer: The future - What is as light as a feather but no one can hold for long?
Answer: Your breath - What has keys but can’t open locks?
Answer: A piano - What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?
Answer: A palm tree - What can you see once in a minute and twice in a moment?
Answer: The letter M - What has wheels and flies?
Answer: A garbage truck - What is always hungry and must be fed?
Answer: Fire
Hard Riddles for Upper Elementary
- What has cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and rivers but no water?
Answer: A map - The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
Answer: Footsteps - What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
Answer: Short - I shave every day but my beard stays the same. Who am I?
Answer: A barber - What goes through towns and fields but never moves?
Answer: A road - I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old. What am I?
Answer: A candle - What has a head and tail but no body?
Answer: A coin - What begins with P and ends with E but has thousands of letters?
Answer: A post office - What gets sharper the more you use it?
Answer: Your brain - What can you fill with empty hands?
Answer: Gloves - What has a neck but no arms or legs?
Answer: A bottle - What can you hear but not see and only sometimes feel?
Answer: Wind - What’s something you can’t give away once you have it?
Answer: A bad reputation - What gets broken if you say its name?
Answer: Silence - What’s black when clean and white when dirty?
Answer: A chalkboard
Science Riddles for Upper Elementary
- I orbit the Earth, but I’m not the moon. What am I?
Answer: A satellite - I’m hot, bright, and the center of attention. What am I?
Answer: The sun - What breaks easily but never falls?
Answer: Day - What falls but never breaks?
Answer: Night - What has roots that nobody sees and is taller than trees?
Answer: A mountain - I have no wings but I can fly. What am I?
Answer: Time - What planet is known as the Red Planet?
Answer: Mars - What am I if I have two hands but can’t clap and measure time?
Answer: A clock - What do you call frozen water?
Answer: Ice - What gas do plants breathe in?
Answer: Carbon dioxide - What gas do humans need to survive?
Answer: Oxygen - What moves around the Earth and causes tides?
Answer: The moon - What is the nearest star to Earth?
Answer: The sun - What natural force keeps us from floating away?
Answer: Gravity - What do you call water in gas form?
Answer: Water vapor
Vocabulary Riddles for Upper Elementary
- What word has letters but is not an alphabet?
Answer: A mailbox - What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters?
Answer: Short - What word begins and ends with an E but has only one letter?
Answer: Envelope - What word has a thousand letters but never writes?
Answer: A mailbox - What word starts with “P” and ends with “E” and has thousands of pages?
Answer: A phonebook - What has many words but never speaks?
Answer: A book - What word is always spelled incorrectly?
Answer: Incorrectly - What word becomes longer when you remove a letter?
Answer: Lounger (remove “u”) - What word has “key” in it but no lock?
Answer: Monkey / Donkey / Turkey - What word ends in “g” and means you’re having fun?
Answer: Playing - What word begins with “over” and means to look again?
Answer: Overlook - What word contains all vowels?
Answer: Education - What word has three double letters in a row?
Answer: Bookkeeper - What word has one letter but starts with many?
Answer: Alphabet - What word tells you where you are standing?
Answer: Here
Animal Riddles for Upper Elementary
- I have stripes and live in a jungle. Who am I?
Answer: A tiger - I hop and have long ears. Who am I?
Answer: A rabbit - I roar but I’m not a car. I’m the king of the jungle. Who am I?
Answer: A lion - I’m slow and carry my house on my back. Who am I?
Answer: A turtle - I have wings but I’m not a plane; I lay eggs and fly. Who am I?
Answer: A bird - I live in water and have sharp teeth. Who am I?
Answer: A shark - I can change colors. Who am I?
Answer: A chameleon - I say “moo.” Who am I?
Answer: A cow - I’m the biggest animal on land. Who am I?
Answer: An elephant - I have no legs but I can slither. Who am I?
Answer: A snake - I’m man’s best friend. Who am I?
Answer: A dog - I steal your food at picnics and make squeaky sounds. Who am I?
Answer: A mouse - I spin webs. Who am I?
Answer: A spider - I can jump the highest and love bananas. Who am I?
Answer: A monkey - I howl at night and live in a pack. Who am I?
Answer: A wolf
School Riddles for Upper Elementary
- I hold many words but am not a speech.
Answer: A dictionary - You write on me but I never write back.
Answer: Paper - I erase mistakes but sometimes make a mess.
Answer: An eraser - I ring but I’m not a phone.
Answer: A school bell - I have pages but no chapter.
Answer: A notebook - I’m full of answers but you shouldn’t copy me.
Answer: An answer key - I help you measure but I’m not a clock.
Answer: A ruler - You open me to learn but I’m not a door.
Answer: A book - I sit quietly and hold your stuff.
Answer: A backpack - I help you draw circles.
Answer: A compass - I mark your papers with color.
Answer: A highlighter - I keep papers together.
Answer: A stapler - You write on me with chalk.
Answer: A chalkboard - I’m the room where learning happens.
Answer: A classroom - I ask questions but am not a person.
Answer: A test
Conclusion
These riddles for upper elementary students are perfect for brain breaks, warm-ups, group activities, morning meetings, or just fun learning moments.
With eight unique categories and 120 riddles total, you now have a complete toolkit to spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and bring joy into any classroom or home learning space.
RiddleBurst.com is all about delivering engaging riddles and brain teasers that entertain, challenge, and inspire readers of every age.
