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 space riddles for kids? Here are 20 with answers, from the Sun to the comet, from the rocket to the Milky Way. They are split into three levels, so you can start gently and raise the difficulty as your child gets excited.
The 20 space and planet riddles
Read each clue slowly, let your child think and only then show the answer. If they get stuck, repeat the clue and add a hint, like the color of the object or whether it shows up by day or by night.
Easy (ages 3 to 5)
- I am a giant ball of light and heat. I wake you up in the morning and warm the whole planet. Who am I? Answer: the Sun.
- I change shape in the sky: sometimes I am round, sometimes a little sliver, sometimes I almost disappear. At night, I keep you company. Who am I? Answer: the Moon.
- I am a tiny dot of light in the dark sky. I twinkle far away and I have many sisters. What am I? Answer: a star.
- I have fire underneath and I go up, up, up. I carry people and machines into space. What am I? Answer: a rocket.
- I wear a thick white suit and a helmet, and I float outside the spaceship. Who am I? Answer: an astronaut.
- From far away I look blue and white, with oceans and clouds. This is where you live. What am I? Answer: the Earth.
- I have lenses and a long tube. Point me at the sky and the Moon looks close. What am I? Answer: a telescope.
Medium (ages 5 to 7)
- I have huge rings of ice and rock spinning around me. I am the most famous planet because of them. Who am I? Answer: Saturn.
- They call me the red planet, because my dust is the color of rust. Robot explorers have already rolled across me. Who am I? Answer: Mars.
- I have a bright tail of ice and dust that shows up when I get close to the Sun. What am I? Answer: a comet.
- I streak across the sky in a flash and vanish. I am only a small space rock that heats up when it enters Earth's air. Many people make a wish when they see me. What am I? Answer: a shooting star.
- Connect the dots of several stars and I make a picture in the sky: a hunter, a scorpion, a cross. What am I? Answer: a constellation.
- I go around the Earth again and again. I help with GPS, weather forecasts and TV. What am I? Answer: a satellite.
- I am a home in space that circles the Earth. Astronauts live in me for months. What am I? Answer: the space station.
Challenge (ages 7 to 8)
- Sometimes the Moon slides in front of the Sun, and the day gets dark for a few minutes. What is this called? Answer: a solar eclipse.
- I am the biggest planet in the Solar System. I have a giant storm, the Great Red Spot, that has lasted a very long time. Who am I? Answer: Jupiter.
- I am an invisible force that pulls you to the ground and keeps the Moon circling the Earth. What am I? Answer: gravity.
- I am a pale band, like spilled milk, made of billions of stars. Our Solar System is inside me. What am I? Answer: the Milky Way.
- I am wrapped in thick clouds and I am the hottest planet of all, even hotter than Mercury, which is closer to the Sun. Who am I? Answer: Venus.
- I am the path the Earth takes around the Sun. It takes a whole year to finish one trip. What am I? Answer: an orbit.
How to play at each age
Ages 3 to 5
Use the easy riddles and act them out: arms wide for the Sun, hands curved like the Moon, a «whoosh» for a rocket taking off. Little ones often get it right with their bodies before they find the word.
Ages 5 to 7
With the medium riddles, ask for a second clue: «What color is it?» or «Do we see it by day or by night?». That way your child learns something new about each object, not just its name.
Ages 7 to 8
For the challenge, let your child invent a space riddle for you. They have to pick two good clues, which is great practice for vocabulary and reasoning.
Backyard game: riddles under the night sky
On a clear night, take the family to the yard or the balcony, always with an adult nearby. Lie on a mat or sit in comfy chairs, switch off nearby lights and give your eyes a few minutes to adjust.
Then start playing: point at the Moon and read its riddle, look for a twinkling star, try to find a constellation. On cloudless nights you can sometimes spot a planet as a bright dot that does not twinkle. If a shooting star appears, it is the perfect moment to answer riddle number 11 and make a wish.
To keep the fun going
Want a laugh? Try the space jokes for kids. Then the free coloring pages to print are a perfect break: your child can color the rocket, the Moon or the astronaut they just guessed. Pigúiça's free game runs in the browser, with no sign-up and no ads. And the cartoon episodes are free too.
For bedtime, the book Dogavios, by Lucas dos Reis Arieme, takes Pigúiça, the blue-eyed husky, and her friend Fofuxo to the Magic Garden.
Frequently asked questions
At what age do kids understand space riddles?
Around age 3 or 4, when they already recognize the Sun, the Moon and the stars. Start with the easy ones and let your child set the pace.
Can I make up my own riddles?
You can, and you should. Pick a space object, think of two or three things your child knows about it and finish with «Who am I?». If they help you create it, the fun doubles.
What if my child does not know the answer?
That is fine. Give an extra clue, show a picture in a book or point at the night sky. The goal is to have fun together, not to pass a test.
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.
