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How Math Brain Teasers for Kids Can Make Teaching Mathematics More Rewarding?

Math is the vital discipline that everyone needs to know since we all use mathematical concepts like measurement, addition, and subtraction while carrying out our daily activities. Unfortunately, many adults and children are not fond of math. Continue reading to see how Brighterly makes studying math an enjoyable experience using math brain teasers for kids like riddles and puzzles.

What Are Math Brain Teasers for Kids?

Apart from teaching limitations, children have a short attention span. So, how do you engage your kid in math? Math brain teasers for kids allow your child to feel the thrill of figuring a problem out without the stress of solving math tasks in the conventional way.

Brain teasers come as riddles, quizzes, puzzles, etc. that your kid can play intellectually. They are games with tricky questions, often hiding correct answers in plain sight. While traditional math problems are complex and tedious, brain teasers are more funny and mentally engaging.

Take this teaser as an example: A girl has seven dogs as pets. One day, she forgot to close the door on her way out, and all except three dogs ran away. How many dogs does the girl have left?

If you were paying attention, you’d notice the determinant — all but —meaning the girl only has three dogs left. A brain teaser like this helps your child better grasp mathematical concepts and grammatical expressions while improving their critical thinking skills.

What Are Puzzles?

A puzzle is a game where people have to sort out pieces using critical and analytical thinking to get the correct answer. Typically, puzzles can be relational, crosswords, logic, numbers, Wordsearch, and jigsaw puzzles. With brain teasers, math for kids is more fun, and here are some puzzles you can play with your child to enhance their math knowledge.

1. What will you get if you divide 100 by half and add 20?

   Answer: 70

2. How many members are in the gym if Aleksander is the 50th weakest and strongest weightlifter in a gym?

   Answer: 99 members.

3. What are the ages of two friends, Katie and Jamie? If 15 years ago, Katie was five times older than Jamie, and in 20 years from now, she will be 1.5 times older than him?

   Answer: Katie is 40, while Jamie is 20 years old.

4. If it takes two cleaners 7 hours and 20 minutes to wash 60 windows, how many hours will it take for the cleaners to clean 30 mirrors?

   Answer: Unlike a window, a mirror has one side. So, it will take the cleaners 110 minutes (1hr 50 minutes).

5. If ten monkeys take 10 minutes to eat 10 bananas, how many minutes will six monkeys take to eat 6 bananas?

   Answer: 1 minute each.

6. Demetrius, the oldest kid in the Petrov family, has four siblings who were born three years apart. What is Demetrius’ age if Pedro, the youngest child, is 18?

   Answer: 18 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 30 years old.

7. Complete the number sequence: 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, 17, _____

   Answer: 23

8. Why did two fathers and two sons go fishing and come back with three fishes instead of 4?

   Answer: There are just three people (grandfather, father, and son).

9. How many 6’s can you count from 1 to 100?

   Answer: 20 (6, 16, 26, 36, 46, 56, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 76, 86, 96)

10. With only addition, how can you make 738 having only six 6’s?

    Answer: 666 + 66 + 6 = 738

You can visit Brighterly’s online puzzle page for more thrilling puzzles.

What Are Riddles?

A riddle is a question meant to test someone else’s knowledge. Riddles pose a tricky question with hidden answers and meanings, so you have to think critically or guess the answer. Here are some examples of riddles you could play with your child.

1. Guess the following number in the series 1234, 4123, 3412, ____

   Answer: 2341.

2. What is that number with which you still get the same outcome when you multiply it by other numbers?

   Answer: 0 (zero).

3. How many sides can you count in a circle?

   Answer: 2 (inside and outside).

4. Which month of the leap year has 29 days?

   Answer: All the months.

5. What number increases but never decreases?

   Answer: Your age.

6. What do math textbooks do when they go out for drinks?

   Answer: They share their problems.

7. When triangle and circle got into an argument, what did the triangle say to the circle?

   Answer: You are pointless.

8. How many times can you subtract 10 from 100?

   Answer: Once.

9. How can you make 4 from 5?

   Answer: Remove F and E from FIVE = IV (roman numerals)

10. How does 9 + 9 give you six?

    Answer: 9 a.m + 9 hours = 6 p.m

You can visit Brighterly’s online riddle page to choose from the most engaging riddles for your child.

Benefits of Math Brain Teasers for Kids

As you can see, math brain teasers for kids are enjoyable and excellent for breaking away from the conventional learning mode. With brain-teasers, you can teach your kids concepts while encouraging them to think for themselves. Here are some benefits of math brain teasers for kids:

Concentration skills

Keeping kids focused in the classroom can be daunting. Since objects and toys can distract them, you need a creative solution. Brain teasers can help improve your child’s readiness to learn since kids will expect fun activities.

Critical thinking skills

Brain teasers can improve critical thinking skills, and your child will learn that things aren’t always what they seem. With riddles, an obvious answer is rarely correct. Children have to think outside the box, gain perspective, and think on their feet while solving brain teasers.

Memory retention

Brain teasers exercise kids’ memory. Each sentence in a well-crafted brain teaser has a valid point to help children answer correctly. If you miss one word, you may lose the game. Since kids pay attention to teasers, they can remember interlinking concepts and improve their memory.

Mind exercise

Just like how you engage in physical exercises, your mind also needs to be active. Exercising the mind keeps your kid alert and mentally ready for problems. Brain teasers like riddles and puzzles will make your child sharper and better at math. 

Conclusion

Riddles and puzzles are fun ways to help your child learn. But what if you are too busy to get printable math brain teasers for kids? Learning math with Brighterly is a great idea since the tutors use math games and teasers to help kids learn math and have fun simultaneously.