Sophie and Grace played five games of checkers one afternoon. Each girl won the same number of games, and none of the games ended in a tie. How is that possible?
Hint: Who said they were playing each other?
AnswerThey weren't playing against each otherEach girl played other opponents, so their wins don't have to split five games between them.
Mia just turned 16. Her family has thrown her a birthday party every single year, yet the date on her birth certificate has only come around four times since the day she was born. How is that possible?
Hint: Some dates don't show up every year.
AnswerShe was born on February 29February 29 only occurs in leap years, every four years, so in 16 years it has come around four times.
A small town has only two hair stylists. Rosa's hair is perfectly cut and styled, while Jen's hair is a total mess. When a visitor needs a haircut, she goes straight to Jen. Why?
Hint: Who cuts the stylists' hair?
AnswerThey cut each other's hair, so Jen gave Rosa that great cutNeither stylist can cut her own hair well, so Rosa's great look is Jen's work and Jen's messy hair is Rosa's.
Danny fell off a 30-foot ladder while washing windows, and he didn't get a single scratch. He wasn't wearing a harness, and he landed on concrete. How is that possible?
Hint: How high up was he really?
AnswerHe fell off the bottom rungThe ladder was 30 feet tall, but Danny was only standing on the lowest step when he slipped.
Biscuit the dog is wearing a 10-foot leash, but she trots over to a treat 30 feet away and gobbles it up. The leash didn't break, stretch or come off. How is that possible?
Hint: What's on the other end of the leash?
AnswerThe leash wasn't tied to anythingA leash only holds a dog back if the other end is attached to something, and Biscuit's was just dragging behind her.
A delivery truck is wedged under a low railroad bridge, stuck by less than an inch. Pulling it out would rip the roof off, and the bridge can't be raised. A 10-year-old on the sidewalk suggests a fix that takes a few minutes, needs no tools and costs nothing. What is it?
Hint: The truck only needs to get a little shorter.
AnswerLet some air out of the tiresLetting air out of the tires lowers the truck enough to free it.
Ava left her home in Indiana at exactly 3:00 p.m. and drove 20 minutes west to a store in Illinois. When she walked in, the store's clock said 2:20 p.m., and it was set correctly. How is that possible?
Hint: Think about time zones.
AnswerShe drove into the Central time zoneMost of Indiana is on Eastern time and Illinois is on Central time, an hour behind, so 3:20 at home was 2:20 at the store.
Ella's grandfather is younger than her father. Nobody is lying, and nobody's age is a typo. How is that possible?
Hint: Ella has more than one grandfather.
AnswerIt's her mom's dad, and her dad is much older than her momIf Ella's father is 60 and her mother is 32, her mother's father could easily be 55, younger than Ella's dad.
At the summer fair's bike race, Leo crossed the finish line dead last, and the judges handed him the blue ribbon. Nobody cheated, and Leo never once put a foot on the ground. Why did he win?
Hint: Speed isn't always the goal.
AnswerIt was a slow bike race, and last place winsIn a slow bike race, the winner is the rider who finishes last without putting a foot down, which is exactly what Leo did.
Dana dials the same number several times a week. Nobody has ever answered, she never leaves a message, and she hangs up the moment she hears a faint buzz coming from another room. Whose number is she calling, and why?
Hint: She's listening, not talking.
AnswerHer own cell phone, because she keeps losing itDana calls her own cell from her landline so it rings or buzzes and she can follow the sound to find it.
Without a mask, with 30,000 witnesses and a TV crew filming every second, a man stole in broad daylight. Instead of calling the police, the whole crowd jumped up and cheered. What did he steal?
Hint: Take me out to the ball game.
AnswerA base (he's a baseball player)In baseball, a runner can 'steal' a base, and fans cheer when he makes it safely.
One January evening, Dad drags the garden hose into the backyard and spends three hours spraying water all over the lawn. Mom doesn't try to stop him, and the next morning the kids are begging to go outside before breakfast. Why?
Hint: What happens to water on a January night?
AnswerHe was making a backyard ice rinkThe water froze solid overnight, turning the yard into a skating rink by morning.
Lateral thinking puzzles describe a situation that sounds impossible, then ask how it could happen. The answer is always logical, but you'll only find it by questioning the assumptions you made while reading.
They're perfect for groups: one person reads the puzzle and everyone else fires off guesses. Stuck? Grab the hint, then take another look at every word. For more trick questions, try our logic riddles and detective riddles.