34 school riddles with answers
School riddles about supplies, classrooms and school words for a warm-up, a brain break or the first week back. The last set is harder, for older students.
Updated
School supplies
I'm the most stuck-up thing in the classroom, and I dry out if you leave my cap off. What am I?
medium
Glue.
Stuck-up usually means proud, but glue really does stick things up.
I help you draw a perfect circle in math class, and I help you find north on a hike. What am I?
medium
A compass.
A drawing compass has a pointed leg and a pencil for circles, and a hiking compass has a needle that points north.
I go to school every day and carry all the books, but I never learn a thing. What am I?
easy
A backpack.
A backpack carries your books to school, but it can't read them.
The more I'm used, the shorter I get, and I leave white words on the board. What am I?
easy
Chalk.
A stick of chalk wears down as you write with it.
I chew on wood every day, but I'm not a beaver. When I'm done, your pencil has a brand-new point. What am I?
easy
A pencil sharpener.
A sharpener shaves thin curls of wood off a pencil to make a new point.
Which school supply is hiding in the word PENGUIN?
easy
A PEN.
PEN-GUIN: the first three letters spell PEN.
I carry every country and ocean, but you can spin me with one finger. What am I?
easy
A globe.
A globe is a round model of the Earth that turns on a stand.
People and places at school
I'm the longest part of the school, but nobody ever sits down in me. What am I?
easy
The hallway.
Students walk through the hallway between classes, but it has no desks.
I end every lesson without saying a word. What am I?
easy
The school bell.
The bell rings to show that class is over.
I have thousands of stories, but I'm the quietest room in the school. What am I?
easy
The library.
A library is full of books, and people keep their voices down there.
I'm the only work that follows you home from school. What am I?
easy
Homework.
Homework is schoolwork you do at home.
I'm a break in the school day, but nothing gets broken, and everybody runs outside to play. What am I?
easy
Recess.
Recess is a break from lessons when students go outside to play.
I'm yellow and I stop a lot, but I'm not a traffic light. What am I?
easy
A school bus.
A school bus stops at many corners to pick up and drop off students.
I'm a day off school that falls from the sky. What am I?
easy
A snow day.
When heavy snow makes the roads unsafe, schools may close for a snow day.
The teacher said, "Everyone who is not here today, raise your hand." How many hands went up?
medium
None.
Anyone who wasn't there couldn't raise a hand.
Four kids line up for lunch. Amy is behind Ben, Ben is behind Cara, and Dan is last. Who is first in line?
medium
Cara.
The line goes Cara, Ben, Amy and then Dan.
My first half is what you do at recess. My second half is under your feet. Together I'm where you spend recess. What am I?
easy
The playground.
PLAY and GROUND make PLAYGROUND.
School word riddles
Your teacher writes on me, and I sound like how you feel when there's nothing to do. What am I?
medium
A board.
BOARD sounds the same as BORED.
I'm a big letter at the start of a sentence, and I'm the city where a country's leaders work. What am I?
medium
Capital.
A capital letter is a big letter, and a capital city is where a country's government meets.
I'm a dot at the end of a sentence, and I'm also one part of the school day. What am I?
medium
A period.
A period ends a sentence, and a class period is one block of the school day.
You do me on a spelling test, and a wizard casts one. What am I?
easy
A spell.
To spell is to write the letters of a word, and a spell is also magic words in a story.
I'm a line of desks in a classroom, and I'm also what you do with the oars of a boat. What am I?
medium
A row.
A row is a line of seats, and to row is to move a boat with oars.
I'm the year you're in at school, and I'm also the mark your teacher puts on your test. What am I?
medium
A grade.
Grade means your year at school and also the score you get.
I open a lock, and I'm also the list of answers your teacher keeps. What am I?
medium
A key.
A key opens a lock, and an answer key lists the right answers.
I'm a message you pass in class, and I'm one sound in music class. What am I?
easy
A note.
A note is a short message and also one sound in a piece of music.
Which school subject is hiding inside the word SMART?
medium
ART.
SM-ART: the last three letters spell ART.
My first half is a short message. My second half is something you read. Together you write in me. What am I?
easy
A notebook.
NOTE and BOOK make NOTEBOOK.
Change the first letter of TEST, and you get the opposite of worst. What is the new word?
medium
BEST.
Swap the T at the start of TEST for a B and you get BEST.
Change the first letter of BOOK, and you get what a chef does. What is the new word?
medium
COOK.
Swap the B in BOOK for a C and you get COOK.
Change the first letter of MATH, and you get something you walk along in a park. What is the new word?
medium
PATH.
Swap the M in MATH for a P and you get PATH.
Harder school riddles
I'm what happens in a story, and I'm also a small piece of land for a garden. What am I?
hard
A plot.
The plot is what happens in a story, and a plot is also a small patch of ground.
I'm how loud the TV is, and I'm also one book in a set. What am I?
hard
Volume.
Volume means loudness and also one book in a series.
You earn me when you finish college, and I'm also how you measure how hot it is. What am I?
hard
A degree.
A college degree is earned by finishing a course, and temperature is measured in degrees.
Rearrange the letters of TEACHER to get the one person a teacher never wants in the class.
hard
A CHEATER.
TEACHER and CHEATER use the same seven letters.
Plan the round and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
60
These are adjustable house rules. Pause whenever the group needs more time.
Team 1: 0
Team 2: 0
Use this set with a group
Read a prompt, allow thinking time, then invite an answer or a pass. For a timed round, choose a turn length before starting. A host can keep the printed answers out of view until the round ends.