Weebou Editorial Team
9 min read
In this article
A little preparation
Choose a quiet moment and a flat surface such as a table or a rug. Keep blocks, counters or paper nearby, because young children often reason better when they can move things than when they only listen. Read each puzzle slowly, twice if needed, and let your child repeat it in their own words before they try to answer.
Start with the first puzzle in a group, which is the easiest, and stop when your child's attention drifts rather than finishing the list. Never treat speed as the goal: a puzzle solved slowly with a clear explanation is better than one answered in a flash. If your child gets stuck, show part of the clue with objects, or ask what they already know. When you reveal an answer, check it together by building or drawing it, so the reasoning is visible and any mistake becomes interesting rather than embarrassing.
Ideas to try together
Pattern teasers: what comes next?
Patterns are one of the earliest forms of logical thinking. Children who can say what comes next are noticing a rule, which is the foundation of algebra and coding later on. Draw each pattern with shapes or colours so they can see it, then check by adding the missing piece.
You’ll need
- Paper and crayons
- Coloured counters or blocks
- A strip of paper to lay patterns on
How to do it
- Q: Circle, square, circle, square, circle, what comes next? A: a square, because the shapes take turns.
- Q: Red, red, blue, red, red, blue, red, red, what comes next? A: blue, because every third one is blue.
- Q: 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, what comes next? A: 3, because the numbers count up to three and then start again.
- Q: Big, small, big, small, big, what comes next? A: small, because big and small take turns.
- Q: Clap, stamp, clap, stamp, clap, what comes next? A: stamp, so try the pattern with your body to check.
- Q: Triangle, triangle, circle, triangle, triangle, what comes next? A: a circle, because every third shape is a circle.
Make it your own: For younger children, use only two colours and make the pattern with real blocks. Older children can invent a pattern with three parts and ask you to find the missing piece in the middle.
Number clue teasers
Number clues like greater than and smaller than make children think about where a number sits on the number line. They also learn that clues can work together to narrow things down. A short number line on paper helps them hold the clues in mind while they think.
You’ll need
- A paper number line from 1 to 10
- Counters
- A pencil
How to do it
- Q: I am more than 2 and less than 4. Which whole number am I? A: 3, because it is the only whole number between 2 and 4.
- Q: I come after 6 and before 8. What number am I? A: 7, the number between 6 and 8.
- Q: I am the number you get when you add 2 and 2. Who am I? A: 4, because 2 and 2 make 4.
- Q: I am less than 5 but more than 3. What am I? A: 4, the only whole number between 3 and 5.
- Q: I have the same number of fingers as one hand. What number am I? A: 5, one hand has five fingers.
- Q: I am one more than 9. Who am I? A: 10, because counting on from 9 gives 10.
Make it your own: Younger children can use a number line from 1 to 5 and point as they listen. Older children can try clues with two conditions, such as an even number between 5 and 9, which is 6 or 8.
Size and order teasers
Ordering things by size builds an early understanding of relationships: if A is taller than B and B is taller than C, then A is taller than C. Children grasp this much more easily when they can build or draw the towers themselves.
You’ll need
- 3 stacks of blocks in different heights
- Paper and crayons
- 3 small toys of different sizes
How to do it
- Q: Tower A is taller than tower B, and tower B is taller than tower C. Which is tallest? A: tower A, which you can check by building them.
- Q: Which is the shortest in the puzzle above? A: tower C, because both of the others are taller.
- Q: Sam is taller than Ola, and Ola is taller than Kit. Who is the smallest? A: Kit, because both of the others are taller.
- Q: A bear is heavier than a rabbit, and a rabbit is heavier than a mouse. Which is the lightest? A: the mouse.
- Q: Which is bigger, a house or a cat? A: a house, and drawing both makes the difference easy to see.
- Q: Put these in order from smallest to largest: an elephant, an ant, a dog. A: ant, dog, elephant.
Make it your own: Younger children can order just two objects at a time. Older children can add a fourth tower, or make up their own set of three toys and ask you to find the tallest.
Same or different teasers
Some of the most interesting teasers ask whether something has changed. Children often think that rearranging objects changes how many there are, which is a common step in understanding quantity, so testing it with real blocks is both fun and enlightening.
You’ll need
- 6 blocks or counters
- A tray
- 2 small cups
How to do it
- Q: Four blocks make a line, then the same blocks make a square. Are there more blocks now? A: no, there are still four, and you can count them to check.
- Q: I have 3 counters in a row. If I spread them out, do I have more? A: no, there are still 3 counters.
- Q: Two cups each hold 5 counters. One cup is tall and thin and the other short and wide. Do they hold the same number? A: yes, both hold 5 counters.
- Q: I take 2 blocks from a pile of 5, then put them back. How many blocks are in the pile now? A: 5, because nothing was lost.
- Q: Which one is not an animal: a cat, a duck, a spoon, a frog? A: the spoon, because the others are animals.
- Q: What stays the same if I turn a toy car around? A: the car and the number of wheels.
Make it your own: Younger children can count the objects after every move. Older children can predict the answer before checking, or invent a trick question of their own.
Riddle-style word teasers
Riddle-style teasers use clues about what something does or how it feels. They stretch vocabulary and help children understand that several clues together can point to one thing. Ask which clue was the most helpful before revealing the answer.
You’ll need
- Picture cards of the answers
- A paper bag for hiding the cards
- Paper and crayons
How to do it
- Q: I have hands but cannot clap. What am I? A: a clock, because clocks have two hands that point to the time.
- Q: I am yellow, I grow on trees and monkeys like me. What am I? A: a banana.
- Q: I have four legs and a back but cannot walk. What am I? A: a chair.
- Q: You can hear me but you cannot see me, and I get louder in a storm. What am I? A: thunder.
- Q: I have a neck but no head, and you pour from me. What am I? A: a bottle.
- Q: I go up when the rain comes down. What am I? A: an umbrella.
Make it your own: Younger children can see a picture card of the answer and a few choices. Older children can write or draw their own riddle for you to guess.
Make it work for your family
A good follow-up is to ask your child to make up a puzzle for you. Even if the puzzle is muddled, it shows what they understood about the clues, and you can ask what the answer should be. Changing one clue, such as making the tower shorter, is a simple way to explore why an answer works and what would make it different.
If your child enjoys these, try mixing in some from riddles for kids and a few pattern and logic puzzles in the Weebou games. When a puzzle seems too hard, put it away and return to it in a few days; the same puzzle often feels easy after a good night's sleep. Never tell a child that they should have got it, because the point of a teaser is the thinking, not the score.
Parents also ask
What age are brain teasers suitable for?
Simple teasers such as patterns and what-comes-next puzzles suit children from about four, especially with objects to move. More complex clues with numbers or order tend to suit five to seven year olds. Choose puzzles your child can solve with a little effort, and stop when interest fades.
Should I give my child the answer if they are stuck?
Offer a hint first, such as building part of the puzzle with blocks or asking what they already know. If they are still stuck, reveal the answer and check it together. The goal is understanding why the answer works, not guessing correctly the first time.
How can brain teasers help my child at school?
They practise noticing patterns, comparing sizes, using clues and explaining reasons, all of which appear in early maths and reading. They are not a substitute for classroom learning, but they are a relaxed way to rehearse the kind of thinking that school asks for.
Sources & further reading
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