Brain teasers for kids (printable): examples with answers for ages 8–10

Brain teasers for kids aged 8–10: number sequences, odd one out, analogies, “which number am I?”, shape equations and riddles. Examples with answers, free brain games and printable worksheets.

Brain teasers are short, fun puzzles with exactly one answer. At ages 8–10 they train pattern spotting, classifying, analogies and step-by-step reasoning. Five to ten minutes and three or four teasers a day are plenty.

7 types of brain teasers with answers

Number sequence: 4, 7, 10, 13, ?
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16 — add 3 each time.
Odd one out (numbers): 15, 25, 35, 42, 55
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42 — the others end in 5 (odd and multiples of 5).
Odd one out (words): cat, dog, rabbit, tulip, horse
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tulip — it is a flower; the others are animals.
Analogy: pen : write = scissors : ?
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cut — each pair names a tool and what it does.
Which number am I? I am between 10 and 20 and a multiple of 7.
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14 — the only multiple of 7 between 10 and 20.
Shape equation: ▲ + ▲ = 10 and ▲ + ● = 8. What is ●?
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3 — ▲ = 5, so ● = 8 − 5.
Riddle: How many legs do 3 hens and 2 cats have?
Show answer
14 — 3×2 + 2×4.

How to use them

Easy to hard: move up a level after three correct answers in a row.
Think aloud: ask “how did you find the rule?” — the reasoning matters more than the answer.
Hint before answer: “look at the differences”, “count in twos”.
Mix paper and screen: alternate printable pages with free online games.

Free brain games and printable worksheets

← Brain Games

FAQ

What age are these brain teasers for?

They are aimed at ages 8–10; the easy ones work from 7 and the hard ones up to 11–12.

How many teasers per day?

Three to eight short teasers, about 5–10 minutes. Short and regular beats long sessions.

Does every teaser have one answer?

A good brain teaser should have exactly one defensible answer. We check ours by computer.

Are there free printables?

Yes, the Atlas Practice Series and the worksheets for ages 9+ are free PDFs.