4 Riddles That Challenge Your Critical Thinking
Solving riddles can be both entertaining and intellectually rewarding!
Riddles are a mental exercise that challenges us to think critically and creatively, much like solving complex problems in real life. Riddles are crafted to make us look beyond the obvious, honing our ability to analyze and think deeply. The best part about riddles is that they work just as well with younger people as they do with adults because they teach us all to approach problems from different angles and foster a deeper understanding of the underlying concepts.
To give your child’s mind a workout, we’ve compiled four thought-provoking riddles that will test their critical thinking abilities. Read these to your child aloud and have them come up with the solution (without peeking at the answers)!
1. The Pirate Captain
You are a salty sea captain well known for your pirating skills! The seven seas have never witnessed one pirate take more treasure from than you, and you don’t seem to stop with one treasure chest – you want more, more, more!
However, there is a problem… the sailor who normally counts your treasure chests is sick with the flu and you’re the only one who can keep count! To get you back on the high seas to pillage more ships, you need to do your own inventory of the treasure you have so far:
- In your first raid, you received 28 treasure chests.
- In your second raid, you received 13 more chests, but eight of them were distributed to the crew for all their hard work.
- After your fourth raid, you took in 21 more treasure chests but had to distribute five more to your crew.
- Finally, on the fifth raid, you hauled in 37 treasure chests, but lost four on the way to the boat and 12 more when a few of your crew stole them on your way back home.
What color are the captain’s eyes?
Answer:
The eye color is that of whoever is solving the riddle.
Critical Thinking:
To solve this riddle using critical thinking, you need to carefully look at the information given and pick out the important parts. In this case, you should understand that the answer doesn’t depend on the details about the pirate captain’s treasure or actions. Instead, it’s a play on words related to the question. You need to pay attention to how the riddle is worded to figure out the correct answer. It’s a clever trick that makes you question what you assume should be the answer.
2. The Angry Cat
Rachael and Monica’s last apartment was completely ruined by a cat, and have been forced to move into a home with several roommates.
When the two were shown upstairs to their private accommodations and when the landlord opened the door, Monica was immediately shocked to find an incredibly ornery and overly aggressive cat occupying the room when they walked in.
However, Rachael hung her jacket on a nearby piece of furniture and has no problems with the accommodations. Why?
Answer:
Rachael didn’t have a problem with the cat because the cat had been living with her the whole time: Monica is her cat. When they were shown their room, Monica immediately freaked out (like so many animals do) after seeing their reflection in a mirror. Monica thought that it was another cat challenging her for territory. Fortunately, Rachael can cover up the mirror with her jacket until Monica becomes settled.
Critical Thinking:
This riddle may seem odd, but it can be solved with critical thinking. To find the answer, carefully consider the details provided: Monica’s reaction after seeing the cat (herself), and Racheal not caring AFTER hanging her jacket on a piece of furniture (a mirror). Then, notice the behavior of the cat (Monica) and understand its reaction to seeing its reflection. This solution requires thinking beyond the obvious and paying attention to subtle clues within the scenario.
3. Master Thief
The Fashion Plaza recently opened a brand-new location with state-of-the-art security. At its grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony, a normal woman in normal clothes walks into the store past the CEO, the mayor, and even the chief of police.
After noticing the security guard, she proceeds to fill her basket to the top, then leaves the store without paying. Although security records her movements, and the guard is fully aware of her presence, no one calls the police or attempts to stop her.
Why?
Answer:
The woman works as a cleaner in the store. She is filling the basket with trash and taking it out to the dumpster.
Critical Thinking:
To solve this riddle, you must consider the context and the details provided. Although there were several points made – such as the state-of-the-art security, the number of people, the attention given to this special day – nothing is said about the woman other than she is “normal.” Critical thinking requires understanding the situation from all perspectives. By observing her interactions and behavior – i.e., not having any issue gaining entrance, waving to the security guard, not standing out in the crowd – it becomes clear that she is not actually stealing but is performing her job as a cleaner.
4. A Riddle in Time
What occurs twice in every moment, once in every minute, but also never, ever in a hundred thousand years?
Answer: The letter “M.”
Critical Thinking:
Upon hearing this question, the mind will automatically correlate the question and answer with something to do based on time. However, this is just a misdirection and the actual answer is actually much simpler and lies in plain sight of the question itself. To solve this, you must think outside the box in the sense that you must first think further than the concept of time for this question, but rather look deeply into the context and the wording of the question itself.
Riddle Me This
The fun thing about critical thinking puzzles is that there are so many to be discovered and solved. These riddles that require critical thinking provided are just some of the more famous yet difficult ones. If you had fun giving your brain a little workout with this article, consider reading some of the other blogs on our website!
