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20 summer riddles with answers

Summer riddles about the beach, campfires, fireflies and long hot days, for road trips, camp and the last week of school. Easy ones for kids come first; the last section is word riddles for teens and adults.

Summer riddles with answers

Choose a score button to add a point. Scores last for this page visit.

H shows a hint. Space shows the answer, then the next card. Arrow keys move. With scores on, keys 1 to 6 add a team point. F fills the screen. Escape closes play.

Easy riddles for kids

  1. 1

    I'm a tube that lets you breathe while your face is underwater, looking at the fish. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A snorkel.

    A snorkel's tube reaches above the water so you can breathe while you float face down.

  2. 2

    I have a big round top like a tree, but I have no leaves. You push my pole into the sand to keep the sun off your towel. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A beach umbrella.

    A beach umbrella gives shade on the sand.

  3. 3

    I hang between two trees, I'm full of holes, and on a summer afternoon I rock you to sleep. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A hammock.

    A hammock is a hanging bed of rope or cloth tied between two posts or trees.

  4. 4

    Put me on before you go outside, so the sun doesn't turn you as red as a lobster. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    Sunscreen.

    Sunscreen protects skin from sunburn.

  5. 5

    Blow air into me and I'll carry you around the pool all afternoon without ever sinking. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A pool float.

    A pool float is full of air, so it floats and holds you up.

  6. 6

    I'm a pair of windows you wear on your face, so you can keep your eyes open underwater. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    Swimming goggles.

    Goggles seal around your eyes so the water stays out.

  7. 7

    I'm a ball you should never bounce. Throw me, and whoever catches me gets soaked. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    A water balloon.

    A water balloon bursts when it lands and splashes whoever is nearby.

  8. 8

    When life hands you lemons, people say you should make me. What am I?

    easy

    Answer

    Lemonade.

    The saying means: make something good out of something sour.

Harder riddles for kids

  1. 9

    I spend years underground, then climb a tree on a summer night, and soon you can hear me buzzing all afternoon. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    A cicada.

    Cicadas live underground as young insects for years, then climb out, shed their skins and sing loudly in summer.

  2. 10

    On my day in June, the Sun stays up longer than on any other day of the year. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    The summer solstice.

    In the Northern Hemisphere the summer solstice, around June 21, is the longest day of the year.

  3. 11

    In a summer storm you see me first and hear my partner a few seconds later. Count the seconds between us to tell how far away I am. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    Lightning.

    Light travels much faster than sound, so you see lightning before you hear its thunder. About five seconds of counting is roughly one mile.

  4. 12

    A lemonade stand sells cups for 50 cents. It sells 14 cups by noon and twice that many in the afternoon. How much money does it make?

    medium

    Answer

    $21.

    14 cups in the morning and 28 in the afternoon make 42 cups, and 42 × 50 cents = $21.

  5. 13

    We are the hottest weeks of summer, and we are named after Sirius, the star known as the Dog Star. What are we?

    medium

    Answer

    The dog days of summer.

    The dog days are named after Sirius, the Dog Star, which rises with the Sun in midsummer.

  6. 14

    I keep the campers warm at night, and my smoke always seems to follow whoever moves seats. What am I?

    medium

    Answer

    A campfire.

    A campfire is the center of a camp evening, and its smoke drifts with the breeze.

For teens and adults

  1. 15

    I'm the warmest season, but I'm also what you might call someone who adds up numbers. What am I?

    hard

    Answer

    Summer.

    Summer is the season, and a summer, said the same way as the season, is one who sums.

  2. 16

    Rearrange the letters of the place where the sea meets the land, and you get an animal you can ride. What are the two words?

    hard

    Answer

    Shore and horse.

    SHORE and HORSE use the same five letters.

  3. 17

    Change one letter in the name of a weekend day, and you get a treat of ice cream with a cherry on top. What are the two words?

    hard

    Answer

    Sunday and sundae.

    Change the Y in SUNDAY to an E and you get SUNDAE.

  4. 18

    Rearrange the letters of what a summer day brings, and you get how some people feel about it. What are the two words?

    hard

    Answer

    Heat and hate.

    HEAT and HATE use the same four letters.

  5. 19

    Rearrange the letters of the place where you swim in summer, and you get a game played on horseback. What are the two words?

    hard

    Answer

    Pool and polo.

    POOL and POLO use the same four letters.

  6. 20

    Rearrange the letters of a juicy summer fruit, and you get a word for something that costs very little. What are the two words?

    hard

    Answer

    Peach and cheap.

    PEACH and CHEAP use the same five letters.

Timer and team scores

8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.

60

Pause whenever the group needs more time.

Team Lime's turn

Team Lime: 0

Team Violet: 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.