Brain Teaser
Activity
Name: _________________________
Name: _________________________
Name: _________________________
Name: _________________________
Brain Teaser #1:
Which day is two days before the day after the day
three days after the day before Tuesday?
Brain Teaser #2:
I have only nickels, dimes, and quarters and have at
least one of each type of coin. The total number of
coins I have is fifteen and the total value of all the
coins is $1.00. How many of each coin do I have?
Brain Teaser #3:
Terry is half as old as Alice was when Alice was five
years older than Terry is now. How old is Terry now?
Brain Teaser #4:
What is the next number in the following sequence?
00122436485
Brain Teaser #5:
The following characteristics apply to a group of people
in a room: Fourteen are blondes, eight are blue-eyed,
and two are neither blonde nor blue-eyed. If five of
the people are blue-eyed blondes, how many people are
in the room?
(a) 3
(b) 17
(c) 19
(d) 24
(e) 29
Brain Teaser #6:
A doctor’s son’s father was not a doctor. How is this
possible?
Brain Teaser #7:
There are four people in a line. Sarah is between Barry
and Mary. Mary is in front of two other people, and
John is directly in front of Mary. Who’s first in line,
second, third, and fourth?
Brain Teaser #8:
In the following subtraction problem, each letter
uniquely represents one digit from 0 to 9. At least one
digit is not 0. Find the values of A, B, and C.
ABA
– CA
AB
Brain Teaser #9:
Harry owes Sam $30. Sam owes Phil $20. Phil owes
Harry $50. Which of the following will settle the
debts?
(a) Harry could give Phil $50.
(b) Sam could give Phil $20 and Harry could give
Sam $40.
(c) Harry could give Phil $20 and Sam could give Phil
$10.
(d) Sam and Phil could give Harry $50 total.
(e) Phil could give Harry $20 and could give Sam $10
Brain Teaser #10:
Two runners start at the same point facing in opposite
directions. Each runner then runs 3 straight miles,
takes a right turn, and runs straight for another 4
miles. What is the distance in miles between the two
runners at that point?
Brain Teaser #11:
Choose any two-digit number. Add the digits. Then
subtract that result from the original number to get a
final result. Which of the following numbers could be
your final result? Why?
(a) 31
(b) 32
(c) 33
(d) 34
(e) 35
(f) 36
Brain Teaser #12:
In an isosceles triangle, ABC, AB = AC, and angle A =
20°. Point P is on side AC such that AP = BC. Find angle
PBC.
Brain Teaser #13:
Find a four-digit number where the first digit is onethird the second, the third is the sum of the first and
second, and the last is three times the second.
Brain Teaser #14:
If you add the age of a man to the age of his wife, the
result is 91. He is now twice as old as she was when he
was as old as she is now. How old is the man and how old
is his wife?
Brain Teaser #15:
Put the numbers 1 through 9 in the circles below so
that the numbers in four circles on each side add up to
17. Note: You can’t use a number more than once.
Brain Teaser #16:
Using six straight lines and without retracing any of
the lines, connect all sixteen circles.
Brain Teaser #17:
Three friends eat breakfast at a restaurant. They
estimate that the bill should come to $30. They split
the bill 3 ways and pay $10 each. When the bill comes,
it is $25. Since this is not divisible by 3, they each
take $1 back, and a $2 tip is left. Since each paid $9
and $9 × 3 = $27, plus $2 for the tip, where did the
extra dollar go?
Brain Teaser #18:
Carl has four times as many quarters as Steve and
three times as many quarters as William. If Carl,
Steve, and William have a total of less than 200
quarters, what is the greatest number of quarters that
Carl could have?
Brain Teaser #19:
Jane is three times as old as Ann; three years ago, Ann
was a year younger than Joyce is now. If Ellen is twice
as old as Ann, list the four girls in descending age
order.
Brain Teaser #20:
A soldier has been captured by the enemy. He is so
brave that they offer to let him choose how he wants
to be killed. They tell him, “If you tell a lie you will be
shot, and if you tell the truth you will be hanged.” He
can only make one statement. He makes a statement
and goes free. What could he have said?
(a) “I will be hanged.”
(b) “I will be shot.”
(c) “I will not be shot or be hanged.”
(d) “I will be shot or be hanged.”
(e) “I am not a liar.”
Brain Teaser #21:
If the crank is turned clockwise, which way should the
hamster run?
Brain Teaser #22:
Brain Teaser #23:
How is this possible?
Brain Teaser #24:
Harry and his friends decide to share the last of a packet of Bertie
Bott's Every Flavour beans. None were impressed with the flavor of
their bean, so each decided to show off their skills by casting a
different spell on them. Who cast what spell on which bean? (Note:
Primary colors refer to those of pigments, ie blue, red and yellow.)
Friends:
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Hagrid
Colors:
Green, Blue, Red, Orange and Purple
Flavors:
Vomit, Earwax, Cardboard, Snot and Mud
Spell:
Vanishing, Speaking, Levitating, Exploding and Growing
1. The boy with the cardboard flavored bean cast a spell which made
noise. The earwax flavored bean was very quiet.
2. Harry's bean was a primary color.
3. Hermione's bean, which was not purple, grew almost out of control.
4. The red vomit flavored bean was levitated.
5. Hagrid's bean, which was not a primary color, exploded after a
failed illuminating spell.
6. Neville's orange bean did not speak.
7. The green bean questioned where the orange bean had gone.
8. The snot flavored bean was blue. The green bean did not taste like
earwax. The purple bean was mud flavored.
Brain Teaser #25:
Nicole is a math tutor. Brandon, Lamar, Aaron, Colin, and Justin are the
kids she tutors, and she tutors each of them on a different day after
school. As it happens, no two children are in the same grade; they
range from first to fifth grade. The mothers of the boys are Mrs.
Bailey, Mrs. Burch, Mrs. Prescott, Mrs. Foster, and Mrs. Waters. From
the clues given, try to determine each child's full name and grade as
well as the day of the week on which he receives tutoring.
1. Thursday's child is the oldest and Mrs. Burch's child is not the
youngest.
2. She tutors Mrs. Foster's son earlier in the week than Justin but
later than she tutors the second grader.
3. She doesn't tutor Brandon or Colin on Monday or Friday, but one
of them is the first grader and the other is the third grader.
4. She tutors Colin the day before Brandon but the day after the
Bailey student.
5. In no particular order, the three youngest students are the
Monday student, the Tuesday student, and Mr. Burch's child.
6. Mrs. Prescott's son Aaron is not the oldest nor is he the one
tutored on Monday.
Brain Teaser #26:
Look at the five drawings. Does A, B, C, D or E continue
the sequence?
Brain Teaser #27:
Which of the following 8 options is the missing square?
Brain Teaser #28:
Which of the following tiles replaces the question mark?
Brain Teaser #29:
Look at the group of three squares above. They have a certain feature
which is shared by only one of the groups of three squares below. What
is it, and which group matches?
Brain Teaser #30:
Which of these circles is the odd one out? Why?
Brain Teaser #31:
Mr and Mrs Ackrington, Mr and Mrs Blackpool, Mr and
Mrs Chester and Mr and Mrs Doncaster are attending a
dinner party. Only one couple does not sit next to each
other and this couple does not sit across from each
other. The person sitting opposite Mrs Accrington is a
man who is sitting immediately to the left of Mr
Blackpool. The person sitting on Mrs Chesters
immediate left is a man who is sitting across from Mr
Doncaster. Which couple does not sit next to each
other?
Brain Teaser #32:
At the zoo there are penguins and polar bears next to
each other. If there are a total of 72 creatures and
200 legs, how many penguins are there?
Brain Teaser #33:
What is the missing number?
Brain Teaser #34:
Which one doesn’t belong? Why?
Brain Teaser #35:
1 or 2?