Sixty winter riddles for kids aged 6 to 12, with answers: winter clothes, snow and ice, cold weather, animals that live through the winter, winter games, and a group of funny ones. None of them are about the holidays, so they work from December to March.
In this deck · 6 groups
Winter clothes
I keep four fingers together in one room and give the thumb its own. What am I?
Then ask: Why would fingers stay warmer together?
Answer: Mittens.
Why it works: Mittens have one pocket for four fingers and a separate one for the thumb, and fingers kept together share their warmth.
I sit on your ears like headphones, but I play no music. What am I?
Then ask: What else looks like it does one thing but does another?
Answer: Earmuffs.
Why it works: Earmuffs are two soft pads on a band that keep your ears warm.
All winter I wait by the door with a puddle under me. What am I?
Then ask: Where's the best place to keep wet boots?
Answer: Snow boots.
Why it works: Snow on your boots melts when you come inside and leaves a puddle.
I'm pulled down over your ears, and sometimes I have a pom-pom on top. What am I?
Then ask: What color would yours be?
Answer: A winter hat.
Why it works: A knit winter hat covers your head and ears, and some have a fluffy pom-pom.
I have teeth and I hold your coat shut, but sometimes I get stuck. What am I?
Then ask: What would you use if zippers didn't exist?
Answer: A zipper.
Why it works: The little bumps along a zipper are called teeth, and they lock together when you pull it up.
I come from a sheep, and I keep you warm even when I'm a little wet. What am I?
Then ask: Why don't sheep get cold in winter?
Answer: Wool.
Why it works: Wool is sheep's hair spun into yarn, and it stays warm even when it's damp.
I'm the part of your coat you pull up over your head. What am I?
Then ask: When is a hood better than a hat?
Answer: A hood.
Why it works: A hood is attached to a coat or sweatshirt and covers your head.
I'm puffy because I'm stuffed with feathers or fluff, and I hold warm air around you. What am I?
Then ask: Why does trapped air keep you warm?
Answer: A puffer jacket.
Why it works: A puffer jacket is filled with down or fluffy stuffing that traps a layer of warm air.
Open my wrapper, give me a little shake, and I warm up in your pocket. What am I?
Then ask: What else makes heat without a fire?
Answer: A hand warmer.
Why it works: A hand warmer has iron powder inside that heats up when air reaches it.
I'm the first layer you put on and the last one anyone sees. What am I?
Then ask: How many layers do you wear on the coldest day?
Answer: Long underwear.
Why it works: Long underwear is a thin, warm layer worn under all your other clothes.
Every answer comes with a line on why it works. A few explain real winter science, like why fresh snow makes the whole street go quiet.
On a snow day or a long evening in, print the list and take turns reading one out. For holiday ones, see the Christmas riddles, and for riddles all year, the main list of 150.
Rather not read them out yourself? Thonko asks your kid winter riddles out loud and wants a reason for every guess.
Snow and ice
I'm a house built from blocks of snow, with a round roof. What am I?
Then ask: Why would a house made of snow be warm inside?
Answer: An igloo.
Why it works: An igloo is built from blocks of packed snow, and the air trapped in snow holds in heat.
I work all night clearing the roads so cars can drive in the morning. What am I?
Then ask: What would happen if nobody cleared the roads?
Answer: A snowplow.
Why it works: A snowplow pushes snow off the road with a big blade on its front.
Shake me and it snows, but only inside me. What am I?
Then ask: What scene would you put inside yours?
Answer: A snow globe.
Why it works: A snow globe is a glass ball of water with tiny flakes that swirl when you shake it.
I make your drink cold, and then I disappear into it. What am I?
Then ask: Where does the cold go?
Answer: An ice cube.
Why it works: An ice cube melts as it cools your drink and turns back into water.
I draw feathery patterns on the windows on cold mornings. What am I?
Then ask: Why does it show up in the morning and not the afternoon?
Answer: Frost.
Why it works: Frost forms when water in the air freezes onto a cold surface, and nights are the coldest time.
I'm ice that falls out of storm clouds in little balls. What am I?
Then ask: Why can it fall even in summer?
Answer: Hail.
Why it works: Hail forms when raindrops get carried up into freezing air inside a storm cloud and freeze, again and again.
I'm snow that started melting and turned into gray mush. What am I?
Then ask: What frozen drink is named after me?
Answer: Slush.
Why it works: Slush is half-melted snow mixed with water.
The wind piles me up against the fence, taller than you. What am I?
Then ask: Where would you dig a tunnel?
Answer: A snowdrift.
Why it works: Wind blows snow along until it piles up against whatever is in its way.
People sprinkle me on icy sidewalks so nobody slips. What am I?
Then ask: Why do you think it melts the ice?
Answer: Salt.
Why it works: Salt water has to get colder than plain water before it freezes, so salt makes ice melt.
I'm a pond that turned hard enough to skate on. What am I?
Then ask: How would you know if the ice is safe, and who should check it?
Answer: A frozen pond.
Why it works: When it stays cold long enough, the top of a pond freezes into thick ice.
Winter weather
I'm a snowstorm with a wind so strong you can hardly see. What am I?
Then ask: What would you do inside while it blows?
Answer: A blizzard.
Why it works: A blizzard is heavy snow blown sideways by strong winds.
I tell you how cold it is, and my number drops on freezing days. What am I?
Then ask: What's the coldest it has ever been where you live?
Answer: A thermometer.
Why it works: A thermometer measures the temperature, and the number goes down as it gets colder.
I'm the point where water turns to ice: 32 on one scale and 0 on another. What am I?
Then ask: Which scale do people use where you live?
Answer: The freezing point.
Why it works: Water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the same as 0 degrees Celsius.
I fall as rain but turn into ice the moment I land, and I cover trees in glass. What am I?
Then ask: Why can I make branches break?
Answer: Freezing rain.
Why it works: Freezing rain falls as water and freezes when it hits cold ground or branches, and the ice gets heavy.
When I blow, it feels colder than the thermometer says. What am I?
Then ask: Why does blowing on hot soup cool it down?
Answer: Wind chill.
Why it works: Wind carries warmth away from your skin faster, so it feels colder than it really is.
I'm the weather report that makes kids hope for no school tomorrow. What am I?
Then ask: How often do you think the forecast is right?
Answer: A snow forecast.
Why it works: A forecast says what the weather will probably do, and a big snow forecast can mean a day off.
I'm frozen rain that bounces off your coat in tiny beads, and I'm not hail. What am I?
Then ask: How am I different from hail?
Answer: Sleet.
Why it works: Sleet is rain that freezes into small ice pellets on its way down, while hail grows inside storm clouds.
When it's winter here, it's summer in me. What am I?
Then ask: Where would you go to have a summer holiday in January?
Answer: The Southern Hemisphere.
Why it works: When the northern half of Earth tilts away from the sun, the southern half tilts toward it.
I'm the real reason winter is cold, and it isn't being far from the sun. What am I?
Then ask: Did you think Earth was farther from the sun in winter?
Answer: The tilt of the Earth.
Why it works: In winter your half of Earth tilts away from the sun, so sunlight comes in low and the days are short.
After a big snowfall the whole street goes quiet. Why?
Then ask: What in your house soaks up sound?
Answer: Snow soaks up sound.
Why it works: Fresh snow is full of tiny air pockets that soak up sound instead of bouncing it back.
Winter animals
My fur looks white, but my skin underneath is black. What am I?
Then ask: Why would black skin help in the cold?
Answer: A polar bear.
Why it works: A polar bear's fur is see-through and looks white, and its black skin soaks up the sun's warmth.
My fur turns white in winter and brown in summer, and my big feet work like snowshoes. What am I?
Then ask: Why change color at all?
Answer: A snowshoe hare.
Why it works: Snowshoe hares change color to hide from hunters, and their wide, furry feet keep them on top of the snow.
On February 2, people wait for me to come out of my hole and look for my shadow. What am I?
Then ask: Do you think a groundhog can really tell the weather?
Answer: A groundhog.
Why it works: The Groundhog Day story says that if the groundhog sees its shadow, winter lasts six more weeks.
I'm the biggest deer of all, with antlers like shovels, and I wade through deep snow. What am I?
Then ask: What would antlers like that be good for?
Answer: A moose.
Why it works: Moose are the largest kind of deer, with wide, flat antlers and long legs for deep snow.
I have two long tusks, and I use them to pull myself up onto the ice. What am I?
Then ask: What else could tusks be used for?
Answer: A walrus.
Why it works: Walruses hook their tusks onto the ice to haul their heavy bodies out of the water.
I can hear a mouse moving under the snow, and I dive in headfirst to catch it. What am I?
Then ask: How would you find something you can't see?
Answer: A fox.
Why it works: Foxes listen for mice moving under the snow, then leap up and pounce nose first.
I'm a small bird that stays all winter and sings my own name. What am I?
Then ask: Which birds do you see where you live in winter?
Answer: A chickadee.
Why it works: Chickadees stay through the winter, and their call sounds like "chick-a-dee-dee-dee".
I keep swimming under the ice all winter. How do I breathe?
Then ask: Why doesn't the whole lake freeze solid?
Answer: With gills, from the water.
Why it works: Fish take oxygen out of the water with their gills, and the water under the ice still has oxygen in it.
I'm born on the sea ice with fluffy white fur. What am I?
Then ask: Why might white fur be useful on the ice?
Answer: A harp seal pup.
Why it works: Harp seal pups are born on sea ice with thick white fur that keeps them warm until they grow blubber.
I'm an owl from the far north, white as snow, and I hunt in daylight. What am I?
Then ask: Why would an owl from the far north hunt in daylight?
Answer: A snowy owl.
Why it works: Snowy owls live in the Arctic, where summer days never end, so they're used to hunting while it's light.
Winter fun
I have a blade on the bottom, and I glide over the ice. What am I?
Then ask: Why is it easier to slide on ice than on the kitchen floor?
Answer: An ice skate.
Why it works: An ice skate has a thin metal blade that slides easily over ice.
I'm a flat black disk that gets hit across the ice with a stick. What am I?
Then ask: Why do you think I'm kept in a freezer before a game?
Answer: A hockey puck.
Why it works: A hockey puck is a hard rubber disk, and players try to hit it into the other team's goal.
You ride me down a mountain standing sideways, with both feet strapped on. What am I?
Then ask: Skis or a snowboard? Why?
Answer: A snowboard.
Why it works: On a snowboard both feet are strapped to one wide board, and you stand sideways.
I'm a chair that carries skiers up the mountain through the air. What am I?
Then ask: What would you look at on the way up?
Answer: A ski lift.
Why it works: A chairlift carries skiers up the slope on a cable so they can ski back down.
I'm a castle made of snow that you hide behind when the snowballs start flying. What am I?
Then ask: How would you make yours strong?
Answer: A snow fort.
Why it works: A snow fort is a wall or shelter built from packed snow.
You drill a hole in a frozen lake, drop in a line and wait. What are you doing?
Then ask: What would you do while you wait?
Answer: Ice fishing.
Why it works: In ice fishing, people cut a hole in thick lake ice and fish through it.
I'm hundreds of pieces that make one picture, and I'm perfect for a long cold evening. What am I?
Then ask: Do you start with the edges or the middle? Why?
Answer: A jigsaw puzzle.
Why it works: A jigsaw puzzle is a picture cut into pieces that fit together again.
Everybody climbs me just so they can slide right back down. What am I?
Then ask: Is the climb part of the fun?
Answer: A sledding hill.
Why it works: Kids climb a sledding hill so they can ride down it again and again.
I'm a candy you make by pouring hot maple syrup on clean snow. What am I?
Then ask: What else changes when it cools down fast?
Answer: Maple taffy, or sugar on snow.
Why it works: Hot syrup poured on snow cools so fast that it turns into a chewy candy.
I'm a race where a team of dogs pulls a sled across the snow. What am I?
Then ask: Why do you think some dogs love to pull?
Answer: A sled dog race.
Why it works: In a sled dog race, a team of dogs pulls a sled and its driver, who is called a musher.
Funny winter riddles
What do you call a snowman in July?
Then ask: How could you save a snowman until summer?
Answer: A puddle.
Why it works: A snowman is made of snow, and snow melts into water when it's warm.
What's a snowman's favorite cereal?
Then ask: What would a snowman drink?
Answer: Ice Krispies.
Why it works: It's a twist on Rice Krispies, with ice in it.
Where does a snowman keep his money?
Then ask: Where would a penguin keep money?
Answer: In a snowbank.
Why it works: A snowbank is a big pile of snow, and a bank is where people keep money.
What do snowmen wear on their heads?
Then ask: What would a snowman wear on its feet?
Answer: Ice caps.
Why it works: Ice caps are huge sheets of ice near the poles, and a cap is also a hat.
What happens when a snowman loses his temper?
Then ask: What helps you calm down when you're about to lose your temper?
Answer: He has a meltdown.
Why it works: A meltdown means getting really upset, and snowmen melt.
What does a snowman take when he feels sick?
Then ask: What does "chill out" mean?
Answer: A chill pill.
Why it works: "Take a chill pill" means calm down, and chill also means cold.
What do you call an old snowman?
Then ask: What's the oldest thing in your house?
Answer: Water.
Why it works: Give a snowman enough time and it melts into water.
What kind of ball never bounces?
Then ask: What else is called a ball but doesn't bounce?
Answer: A snowball.
Why it works: A snowball is packed snow, and it breaks apart instead of bouncing.
What did one snowflake say to the other?
Then ask: What makes you one of a kind?
Answer: "You're one of a kind."
Why it works: People say no two snowflakes are exactly alike.
Where's the warmest place to stand in a cold classroom?
Then ask: Where's the warmest spot in your house, really?
Answer: In a corner, because it's 90 degrees.
Why it works: A corner of a room is a 90-degree angle, which has nothing to do with temperature.