Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
Looking for body riddles for kids? Here are 20 short riddles, with the answer right below each one, made for children ages 4 to 8. Read one aloud, give your child a moment to think, then reveal the answer. They work at home, in the car or while waiting in line.
Every riddle is about a part of the body kids know well: hands, eyes, teeth, nose, heart, feet, tongue, hair and even the shadow that follows them around all day. When they guess right, they learn the name of each part without noticing they are learning.
20 body riddles with answers
Start with the first ones, which are the easiest. The last few need a little more thinking and suit older kids.
- I have five fingers but I am not a glove. I clap, I wave and I give high fives. What am I? Answer: your hands.
- Two little windows on your face: close them and the whole world goes dark. Answer: your eyes.
- We are white and we live in your mouth, and we bite and chew from morning till night. Answer: your teeth.
- I sit in the middle of your face and I sniff flowers, cookies and warm bread. Answer: your nose.
- Thump-thump, thump-thump, I beat inside your chest, and I never stop, not even when you rest. Answer: your heart.
- We are two, we wear socks and shoes, and we walk and run wherever you choose. Answer: your feet.
- I live inside your mouth and I help you taste ice cream and say hello. Answer: your tongue.
- I grow on your head, mom brushes me every day, and the wind loves to mess me up. Answer: your hair.
- I follow you everywhere you go, but I only show up when the sun is out. Answer: your shadow.
- We sit on each side of your head, we cannot see a thing, but we hear everything. Answer: your ears.
- I sit between your head and your body and I help you say yes and no. Answer: your neck.
- I am in the middle of your leg and I bend so you can sit, run and jump. Answer: your knee.
- We are tiny little hairs around your eyes, and we keep out the dust. Answer: your eyelashes.
- I live inside your head, and you use me to think, dream and remember. Answer: your brain.
- I am a little dent in the middle of your tummy, and I remember the day you were born. Answer: your belly button.
- We are two, we live in your chest, and we fill up with air every time you breathe. Answer: your lungs.
- I am where your arm bends, and if you bump me, I give you a funny tingle. Answer: your elbow.
- We grow at the tips of your fingers, and a grown-up trims us when we get too long. Answer: your fingernails.
- I open to eat, talk, sing and laugh, and your kisses come out of me. Answer: your mouth.
- I am small and I live at the end of your hand, and I am great for pointing, pressing and counting. Answer: your finger.
How to play with the riddles
The secret is not to rush. Read the riddle slowly, repeat it if your child asks, and give them a few seconds to think. If they get stuck, offer a clue like «it is on your face» or «you use it to walk». That way they reach the answer on their own and feel clever.
Here is a fun twist: have your child touch the body part when they guess it. Said «eyes»? Blink hard. Said «hands»? Clap. The game turns into movement and the attention lasts a lot longer.
Once they know a few by heart, swap roles. Your child reads a riddle and you try to guess, getting it wrong on purpose now and then. They will laugh and want to invent new riddles.
For kids ages 4 and 5
At this age, pick riddles about parts they can easily see, like hands, eyes, nose, feet and mouth. Read one at a time and cheer every guess. There is no truly wrong answer: if your child says «arm» instead of «hand», use it to talk about both parts.
Show the body part while you read. Pointing to your own nose or wiggling your toes helps kids who are still learning the words.
For kids ages 6 to 8
Kids who already read can read the riddles on their own and even write their own versions. Ask them to invent a riddle about the tummy, the forehead or the chin. It is a nice way to practice writing and rhyming without it feeling like homework.
The riddles about the heart, lungs and brain open the door to bigger questions: why does the heart beat faster when we run? Answer calmly and simply, and let the curiosity grow.
After the riddles
If your child wants to keep playing, there is plenty of free stuff here. They can play Pigúiça's game right in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads, or grab some printable coloring pages and color the hands, eyes and feet they just discovered. And if you have not met the blue-eyed husky puppy behind it all, read who Pigúiça is.
The adventures of Pigúiça and her friend Fofuxo in the Magic Garden are also in the children's book Dogavios, a lovely bedtime read.
Frequently asked questions
What ages are these riddles for?
They were written for kids ages 4 to 8. The shortest ones work well from age 4, and the heart, lungs and brain riddles suit ages 6 to 8 best.
How do I explain a riddle my child did not understand?
Repeat it more slowly and give a clue about where on the body the part is. If they still do not get it, share the answer with a smile and ask if they want to try the next one.
Can I use these riddles in the classroom?
Yes. They make a great warm-up before a lesson about the human body, and kids can draw the body part from the answer to help remember its name.
Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
Your next adventure could be a moment together.
Now that you have met Pigúiça here, discover the story behind her world. See the illustrations, read the beginning and choose a book to share with your child, one page at a time.
