critical thinking brain teasers

7 Puzzles to Challenge Your Critical Thinking

Can you spot the connections and sort these items.

Posted March 5, 2015 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

The theme of this post is critical thinking—and the kinds of puzzles that can be constructed around it. This term is used frequently in psychology and education . There are various definitions, but the one that best suits our purpose and which is, in the end, perhaps the best, is the ability to comprehend the logical connections among ideas, words, phrases, and concepts . In the relevant scientific literature, of course, the term is used much more broadly as a framework for understanding human cognition . But in my opinion, the best way to understand things is to construct puzzles to illustrate their basic essence.

Critical thinking involves skill at recognizing a pattern in given information and especially recognizing how the information is connected to the real world. Here are a couple of very simple examples. First, consider the five words below:

• Cruise ship
• Walking on foot
• Automobile (not a race car)

Now, put them in order from the slowest to the fastest, when they are going at maximum speed. The solution, of course, is: 4-2-5-1-3.

As with all such puzzles, there might be slightly different solutions—one could claim that some automobiles go faster than cruise ships. This “indeterminacy” characterizes this kind of thinking. However, some puzzles are straightforward. For instance, what do the following five things have in common?

The answer? These are all words referring to shades of blue.

The seven puzzles below are to the ones above, though hopefully more challenging. Some involve knowledge of facts, but critical thinking is still involved in such cases because the organization of the facts according to some principle is always involved—for example, a puzzle may ask you to put five items in order of their dates of invention.

The following tongue-in-cheek definition of critical thinking by Richard W. Paul, a leading expert on critical thinking theory, says it all: “Critical thinking is thinking about your thinking while you’re thinking in order to make your thinking better.”

I. What do the following 5 things have in common?

• Orange juice

II. Put the following buildings or structures in order of height, from the shortest to the tallest.

• Typical camping tent

III. What do the following animals have in common?

IV. Put the following inventions in order from earliest to most recent.

V. What feature do the following words have in common?

• Imagination

VI. Put these bodies of water in order in terms of volume, from smallest to largest .

VII. What do the following landmasses have in common?

I. They are all drinkable liquids. II. 5-1-4-3-2 III. They all have a tail. They are also all quadrupeds. IV. To the best of my knowledge: 5-4-3-1-2 V. They start with a vowel: a, e, i, o, u VI. 4-2-1-5-3 VII. They are all peninsulas.

Marcel Danesi, Ph.D. , is a professor of semiotics and anthropology at Victoria College, University of Toronto. His books include The Puzzle Instinct and The Total Brain Workout .

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Critical Thinking and Decision-Making  - Using Brain Teasers to Build Critical Thinking Skills

Critical thinking and decision-making  -, using brain teasers to build critical thinking skills, critical thinking and decision-making using brain teasers to build critical thinking skills.

Critical Thinking and Decision-Making: Using Brain Teasers to Build Critical Thinking Skills

Lesson 4: using brain teasers to build critical thinking skills.

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Using brain teasers to build critical thinking skills

Here's a brain teaser: A rooster is on the roof of a barn facing east. The wind is blowing to the west at 10 miles per hour. The rooster lays an egg. Which direction does the egg roll?

The answer appears below the image.

Answer: There is no egg. The rooster didn't lay one because roosters are male. Did you get it right? Let's pick this apart and see why so many people have difficulty with this brain teaser, and so many others.

Watch the video below to learn more about how you can use brain teasers to improve your critical thinking.

The answer is in the details

It's easy to overlook details or accept them without questioning. In the brain teaser above, the answer could be found in the second word: r ooster .

In hindsight, we realize it's impossible for roosters to lay eggs. But it's easy to overlook this when it's casually mentioned in the brain teaser.

Misdirection

Another process at work in this brain teaser is misdirection . There were several details included that we may have paid too much attention to: The fact that the rooster was facing east, and that the wind was blowing west at 10 miles per hour.

In the end, these details had nothing to do with the actual answer. However, they seemed important in the context of the brain teaser! This directed us away from the relevant information.

Applying these ideas to the real world

The same techniques we use to solve brain teasers can also be applied to real-world situations . When you're trying to figure something out, it's important to analyze the information that's available to you and ask the following questions:

• Are there any key details I may be missing?
• Am I being misled by something?
• Could I be thinking about this in another way?

Brain teasers not only help to keep your mind sharp, but can help improve your critical thinking skills as well.

Let's finish things off with another brain teaser...

You are in a dark room with a single match. The only objects available to you are a candle, an oil lamp, and a gas stove. Which item do you light first?

Answer: The match!

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20 Tough Riddles for Adults That Will Have You Scratching Your Head

Put your logic and math skills to the test. No cheating!

So go grab a pencil and a piece of scratch paper and prepare to rip your hair out (and we really do mean that in the best way possible). When you think you’ve got the right answer, click the link at the bottom of each riddle to find the solution. Got it wrong? No worries, you have 19 other riddles to test out.

Navigate Through Our Riddles:

Puzzmo / The King’s Orders / How Many Eggs? / The Gold Chain / Pickleball / Circuit Breaker / Two Trains, Two Grandmas / Ant Math / Peppermint Patty / Great American Rail Trail / A Cruel SAT Problem / Movie Stars Cross a River / Tribute to a Math Genius / One Belt, One Earth / Elbow Tapping / Whiskey Problem / Doodle Problem / Stumping Scientists / What ’ s On Her Forehead? / Keanu for President / Who Opened the Lockers?

Riddle No. 1: The King’s Orders Make for One Hell of a Brain Teaser

Difficulty: easy.

King Nupe of the kingdom Catan dotes on his two daughters so much that he decides the kingdom would be better off with more girls than boys, and he makes the following decree: All child-bearing couples must continue to bear children until they have a daughter!

But to avoid overpopulation, he makes an additional decree: All child-bearing couples will stop having children once they have a daughter! His subjects immediately begin following his orders.

After many years, what’s the expected ratio of girls to boys in Catan?

The likelihood of each baby born being a girl is, of course, 50 percent.

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right .

Riddle No. 2: How Many Eggs Does This Hen Lay?

This problem is in honor of my dad, Harold Feiveson. It’s due to him that I love math puzzles, and this is one of the first problems (of many) that he gave me when I was growing up.

A hen and a half lays an egg and a half in a day and a half. How many eggs does one hen lay in one day?

Riddle No. 3: The Gold Chain Math Problem Is Deceptively Simple

Difficulty: moderate.

You’re rummaging around your great grandmother’s attic when you find five short chains each made of four gold links. It occurs to you that if you combined them all into one big loop of 20 links, you’d have an incredible necklace. So you bring it into a jeweler, who tells you the cost of making the necklace will be $10 for each gold link that she has to break and then reseal.

How much will it cost?

Riddle No. 4: Try to Solve This Pickleball Puzzle

Difficulty: 🚨hard🚨.

Kenny, Abby, and Ned got together for a round-robin pickleball tournament, where, as usual, the winner stays on after each game to play the person who sat out that game. At the end of their pickleball afternoon, Abby is exhausted, having played the last seven straight games. Kenny, who is less winded, tallies up the games played:

Kenny played eight games

Abby played 12 games

Ned played 14 games

Who won the fourth game against whom?

How many total games were played?

Riddle No. 5: Our Circuit Breaker Riddle Is Pure Evil. Sorry.

The circuit breaker box in your new house is in an inconvenient corner of your basement. To your chagrin, you discover none of the 100 circuit breakers is labeled, and you face the daunting prospect of matching each circuit breaker to its respective light. (Suppose each circuit breaker maps to only one light.)

To start with, you switch all 100 lights in the house to “on,” and then you head down to your basement to begin the onerous mapping process. On every trip to your basement, you can switch any number of circuit breakers on or off. You can then roam the hallways of your house to discover which lights are on and which are off.

What is the minimum number of trips you need to make to the basement to map every circuit breaker to every light?

The solution does not involve either switching on or off the light switches in your house or feeling how hot the lightbulbs are. You might want to try solving for the case of 10 unlabeled circuit breakers first.

Riddle No. 6: Two Trains. Two Grandmas. Can You Solve This Tricky Math Riddle?

Jesse’s two grandmothers want to see him every weekend, but they live on opposite sides of town. As a compromise, he tells them that every Sunday, he’ll head to the subway station nearest to his apartment at a random time of the day and will hop on the next train that arrives.

If it happens to be the train traveling north, he’ll visit his Grandma Erica uptown, and if it happens to be the train traveling south, he’ll visit his Grandma Cara downtown. Both of his grandmothers are okay with this plan, since they know both the northbound and southbound trains run every 20 minutes.

But after a few months of doing this, Grandma Cara complains that she sees him only one out of five Sundays. Jesse promises he’s indeed heading to the station at a random time each day. How can this be?

The trains always arrive at their scheduled times.

Riddle No. 7: Here’s a Really F@*#ing Hard Math Problem About Ants

Max and Rose are ant siblings. They love to race each other, but always tie, since they actually crawl at the exact same speed. So they decide to create a race where one of them (hopefully) will win.

For this race, each of them will start at the bottom corner of a cuboid, and then crawl as fast as they can to reach a crumb at the opposite corner. The measurements of their cuboids are as pictured:

If they both take the shortest possible route to reach their crumb, who will reach their crumb first? (Don’t forget they’re ants, so of course they can climb anywhere on the edges or surface of the cuboid.)

Remember: Think outside the box.

Riddle No. 8: This Peppermint Patty Riddle Is Practically Impossible

You’re facing your friend, Caryn, in a “candy-off,” which works as follows: There’s a pile of 100 caramels and one peppermint patty. You and Caryn will go back and forth taking at least one and no more than five caramels from the candy pile in each turn. The person who removes the last caramel will also get the peppermint patty. And you love peppermint patties.

Suppose Caryn lets you decide who goes first. Who should you choose in order to make sure you win the peppermint patty?

First, solve for a pile of 10 caramels.

Riddle No. 9: Can You Solve the Great American Rail-Trail Riddle?

This problem was suggested by the physicist P. Jeffrey Ungar.

Finally, the Great American Rail-Trail across the whole country is complete! Go ahead, pat yourself on the back—you’ve just installed the longest handrail in the history of the world, with 4,000 miles from beginning to end. But just after the opening ceremony, your assistant reminds you that the metal you used for the handrail expands slightly in summer, so that its length will increase by one inch in total.

“Ha!” you say, “One inch in a 4,000 mile handrail? That’s nothing!” But … are you right?

Let’s suppose when the handrail expands, it buckles upward at its weakest point, which is in the center. How much higher will pedestrians in the middle of the country have to reach in summer to grab the handrail? That is, in the figure below, what is h ? (For the purposes of this question, ignore the curvature of the Earth and assume the trail is a straight line.)

Pythagoras is a fascinating historical figure.

Riddle No. 10: This Riddle Is Like an Especially Cruel SAT Problem. Can You Find the Answer?

Amanda lives with her teenage son, Matt, in the countryside—a car ride away from Matt’s school. Every afternoon, Amanda leaves the house at the same time, drives to the school at a constant speed, picks Matt up exactly when his chess club ends at 5 p.m., and then they immediately return home together at the same constant speed. But one day, Matt isn’t feeling well, so he leaves chess practice early and starts to head home on his portable scooter.

After Matt has been scooting for an hour, Amanda comes across him in her car (on her usual route to pick him up), and they return together, arriving home 40 minutes earlier than they usually do. How much chess practice did Matt miss?

Consider the case where Amanda meets Matt exactly as she’s leaving their house.

Riddle No. 11: Can You Get These 3 Movie Stars Across the River?

Three movie stars, Chloe, Lexa, and Jon, are filming a movie in the Amazon. They’re very famous and very high-maintenance, so their agents are always with them. One day, after filming a scene deep in the rainforest, the three actors and their agents decide to head back to home base by foot. Suddenly, they come to a large river.

On the riverbank, they find a small rowboat, but it’s only big enough to hold two of them at one time. The catch? None of the agents are comfortable leaving their movie star with any other agents if they’re not there as well. They don’t trust that the other agents won’t try to poach their star.

For example, Chloe’s agent is okay if Chloe and Lexa are alone in the boat or on one of the riverbanks, but definitely not okay if Lexa’s agent is also with them. So how can they all get across the river?

There isn’t just one way to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 12: This Ludicrously Hard Riddle Is Our Tribute to a Late Math Genius. Can You Figure It Out?

On April 11, John Horton Conway , a brilliant mathematician who had an intense and playful love of puzzles and games, died of complications from COVID-19. Conway is the inventor of one of my favorite legendary problems (not for the faint of heart) and, famously, the Game of Life . I created this problem in his honor.

Carol was creating a family tree, but had trouble tracking down her mother’s birthdate. The only clue she found was a letter written from her grandfather to her grandmother on the day her mother was born. Unfortunately, some of the characters were smudged out, represented here with a “___” . (The length of the line does not reflect the number of smudged characters.)

“Dear Virginia,

Little did I know when I headed to work this Monday morning, that by evening we would have a beautiful baby girl. And on our wedding anniversary, no less! It makes me think back to that incredible weekend day, J___ 27th, 19___ , when we first shared our vow to create a family together, and, well, here we are! Happy eighth anniversary, my love.

Love, Edwin”

The question: When was Carol’s mother born?

This problem is inspired by Conway’s Doomsday Rule .

Riddle No. 13: To Solve This Twisty Math Riddle, You Just Need One Belt and One Earth

Imagine you have a very long belt. Well, extremely long, really … in fact, it’s just long enough that it can wrap snugly around the circumference of our entire planet. (For the sake of simplicity, let’s suppose Earth is perfectly round, with no mountains, oceans, or other barriers in the way of the belt.)

Naturally, you’re very proud of your belt. But then your brother, Peter, shows up—and to your disgruntlement, he produces a belt that’s just a bit longer than yours. He brags his belt is longer by exactly his height: 6 feet.

If Peter were also to wrap his belt around the circumference of Earth, how far above the surface could he suspend the belt if he pulled it tautly and uniformly?

Earth’s circumference is about 25,000 miles, or 130 million feet … but you don’t need to know that to solve this problem.

Riddle No. 14: This Elbow Tapping Riddle Is Diabolical. Good Luck Solving It.

In some future time, when the shelter-in-place bans are lifted, a married couple, Florian and Julia, head over to a bar to celebrate their newfound freedom.

They find four other couples there who had the same idea.

Eager for social contact, every person in the five couples enthusiastically taps elbows (the new handshake) with each person they haven’t yet met .

It actually turns out many of the people had known each other prior, so when Julia asks everyone how many elbows they each tapped, she remarkably gets nine different answers!

The question: How many elbows did Florian tap?

What nine answers did Julia hear?

Riddle No. 15: You’ll Need a Drink After Trying to Solve This Whisky Riddle

Alan and Claire live by the old Scottish saying, “Never have whisky without water, nor water without whisky!” So one day, when Alan has in front of him a glass of whisky, and Claire has in front of her a same-sized glass of water, Alan takes a spoonful of his whisky and puts it in Claire’s water. Claire stirs her whisky-tinted water, and then puts a spoonful of this mixture back into Alan’s whisky to make sure they have exactly the same amount to drink.

So: Is there more water in Alan’s whisky, or more whisky in Claire’s water? And does it matter how well Claire stirred?

The size of the spoon does not matter.

Riddle No. 16: The Doodle Problem Is a Lot Harder Than It Looks. Can You Solve It?

This week’s riddle is relatively simple—but sinister all the same.

The question: Can you make 100 by interspersing any number of pluses and minuses within the string of digits 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1? You can’t change the order of the digits! So what’s the least number of pluses and minuses needed to make 100?

For instance, 98 - 7 - 6 + 54 - 32 shows one way of interspersing pluses and minuses, but since it equals 107, it’s not a solution.

I call this a “doodle problem”: one that’s best worked on during meetings where you might be doodling otherwise.

You might want to start looking for solutions that use a total of seven pluses and minuses (although there are ways to use fewer).

Ready for the solution? Click here to see if you’re right.

Riddle No. 17: This Math Puzzle Stumped Every Scientist but One. Think You Can Crack It?

Difficulty: hard.

In honor of Freeman Dyson, the renowned physicist who died last month , here’s a legendary tale demonstrating his quick wit and incredible brain power.

One day, in a gathering of top scientists, one of them wondered out loud whether there exists an integer that you could exactly double by moving its last digit to its front. For instance, 265 would satisfy this if 526 were its exact double—which it isn’t.

After apparently just five seconds , Dyson responded, “Of course there is, but the smallest such number has 18 digits.”

This left some of the smartest scientists in the world puzzling over how he could have figured this out so quickly.

So given Dyson’s hint, what is the smallest such number?

My second grader has recently learned how to add a 3-digit number to itself using the classic vertical method:

18-digit numbers, of course, can be added in the same way.

Riddle No. 18: Figure Out What’s on Her Forehead

Cecilia loves testing the logic of her very logical friends Jaya, Julian, and Levi, so she announces:

“I’ll write a positive number on each of your foreheads. None of the numbers are the same, and two of the numbers add up to the third.”

She scribbles the numbers on their heads, then turns to Jaya and asks her what her number is. Jaya sees Julian has 20 on his forehead, and Levi has 30 on his. She thinks for a moment and then says, “I don’t know what my number is.” Julian pipes in, “I also don’t know my number,” and then Levi exclaims, “Me neither!” Cecilia gleefully says, “I’ve finally stumped you guys!”

“Not so fast!” Jaya says. “Now I know my number!”

What is Jaya’s number?

Jaya could be one of two numbers, but only one of those numbers would lead to Julian and Levi both not knowing their numbers. Why?

Riddle No. 19: Can You Get Keanu Reeves Elected As President?

It’s 2024, and there are five candidates running in the democratic primary: Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Keanu Reeves, and Dwayne Johnson. (Hey, it could happen.) As usual, the first primary is in Iowa.

In an effort to overcome its embarrassment after the 2020 caucus debacle , the Iowa Democratic Party has just announced a new, foolproof way of finding the best candidate: there will be four consecutive elections.

First, candidate 1 will run against candidate 2. Next, the winner of that will run against candidate 3, then that winner will run against candidate 4, and finally the winner of that election will run against the final candidate. By the transitive property, the winner of this last election must be the best candidate ... so says the Iowa Democratic Party.

Candidate Keanu has been feeling pretty low, as he knows he is ranked near the bottom by most voters, and at the top by none. In fact, he knows the Iowa population is divided into five equal groups, and that their preferences are as follows:

Keanu is childhood friends with Bill S. Preston, Esq., the new head of the Iowa Democratic Party. Preston, confident that the order of the candidates doesn’t matter for the outcome, tells Keanu he can choose the voting order of the candidates.

So what order should Keanu choose?

How would Keanu fare in one-to-one races against each candidate?

Riddle No. 20: Who Opened All These Damn Lockers?

There are 100 lockers that line the main hallway of Chelm High School. Every night, the school principal makes sure all the lockers are closed so that there will be an orderly start to the next day. One day, 100 mischievous students decide that they will play a prank.

The students all meet before school starts and line up. The first student then walks down the hallway, and opens every locker. The next student follows by closing every other locker (starting at the second locker). Student 3 then goes to every third locker (starting with the third) and opens it if it’s closed, and closes it if it’s open. Student 4 follows by opening every fourth locker if it’s closed and closing it if it’s open. This goes on and on until Student 100 finally goes to the hundredth locker. When the principal arrives later in the morning, which lockers does she find open?

Make sure you pay attention to all of the factors.

Laura Feiveson is an economist for the government, a storyteller, and a lifelong enthusiast of math puzzles.  She lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two daughters. 

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85 Tricky Riddles for Adults That Will Really Test Your Knowledge

These brain-teasers range from super easy to downright mind-boggling.

We've got plenty of clever, hard and downright mind-boggling brain-teasers for you to solve. But if you're looking for something a little easier, we also got a ton of kid-friendly riddles you can figure with your children. There are also plenty of math riddles , too, which will come in handy as icebreakers during work meetings, in the classroom or at a party.

And don't think we just left you hanging with these questions. All of the answers to the mysteries are included.

Be sure to let us know which was your favorite in the comments below!

Easy Riddles

Q: What 5-letter word typed in all capital letters can be read the same upside down?

Q: The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?

A: Footsteps.

Q:David's father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and _____?

Q: What is more useful when it is broken?

Q: I am easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I?

A: A feather.

Q: Where do you take a sick boat?

A: To the dock-tor.

Q: Which fish costs the most?

A: A goldfish.

Q: What goes up, but never comes down?

Q: A cowboy rode into town on Friday. He stayed for three nights and rode out on Friday. How is this possible?

A: His horse's name is Friday.

Q: What has a neck but no head?

A: A bottle

Q: What is full of holes but still holds water?

A: A sponge

Q: How do you spell COW in thirteen letters?

A: SEE O DOUBLE YOU.

Q: Why is Europe like a frying pan?

A: Because it has Greece at the bottom.

Math Riddles

Q: If 2 is company and 3 is a crowd, what are 4 and 5?

Q: I add 5 to 9 and get 2. The answer is correct, so what am I?

A: A clock. When it is 9 a.m., adding 5 hours would make it 2 p.m.

Q: Rachel goes to the supermarket and buys 10 tomatoes. Unfortunately, on the way back home, all but 9 get ruined. How many tomatoes are left in a good condition?

Q: What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?

A: Chicago!

Q: If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?

A: 977 animals (100 x 2 = 200; 200 + 800 = 1000; 1000 – 23 = 977)

Q: I saw my math teacher with a piece of graph paper yesterday.

A: I think he must be plotting something.

Q: If you multiply this number by any other number, the answer will always be the same. What number is this?

Q: I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?

Q: What 3 numbers give the same result when multiplied and added together?

A: 1, 2, and 3 (1 + 2 + 3 = 6 and 1 x 2 x 3 = 6).

Q: What's a single-digit number with no value?

Q: A tree doubled in height each year until it reached its maximum height over the course of ten years. How many years did it take for the tree to reach half its maximum height?

A: Nine years.

Funny Riddles

Q: How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?

A: Concrete floors are very hard to crack.

Q: Pronounced as 1 letter, And written with 3, 2 letters there are, and 2 only in me. I’m double, I’m single, I’m black blue, and gray, I’m read from both ends, and the same either way. What am I?

Q: Who has married many women but was never married?

A: The priest

Q: Forward, I am heavy; backward, I am not. What am I?

Q: What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?

A: Your left hand.

Q: If two snakes marry, what will their towels say?

A: Hiss and hers

Q: What does a man do only once in his lifetime, but women do once a year after they are 29?

Hard Riddles

Q: Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All 4 cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?

A: They all made right-hand turns.

Q: I have a head like a cat and feet like a cat, but I am not a cat. What am I?

A: A kitten.

Q: Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?

A: A coffin.

Q: What has hands but cannot clap?

A: A clock.

Q: Paul's height is six feet, he's an assistant at a butcher's shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?

Q: What gets broken without being held?

A: A promise.

Q: Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?

A: Nothing.

Q: What is the longest word in the dictionary?

A: Smiles, because there is a mile between each ‘s’.

Q: Throw away the outside and cook the inside, then eat the outside and throw away the inside. What is it?

A: Corn on the cob.

Q: What is at the end of a rainbow?

A: The letter W!

Q: What kind of tree can you carry in your hand?

Q: They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?

Q: What is always in front of you, but can’t be seen?

A: The future.

Q: You’ll find me in Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. But never Neptune, or Venus. What am I?

A: The letter “R”.

Q: How many months have 28 days?

A: Every month has 28 days.

Q: I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?

Q: I cannot talk, but I always reply when spoken to. What am I?

A: An echo.

Q: When is the top of a mountain similar to a savings account?

A: When it peaks one’s interest.

Q: A man goes out for a walk during a storm with nothing to protect him from the rain. He doesn’t have a hat, a hood, or an umbrella. But by the end of his walk, there isn’t a single wet hair on his head. Why doesn’t the man have wet hair?

A: He’s bald.

Q: I love to dance, and twist. I shake my tail as I sail away. When I fly wingless into the sky. What am I?

Q: When you stop to look, you can always see me. But if you try to touch me, you can never feel me. Although you walk towards me, I remain the same distance from you. What am I?

A: The horizon

Q: You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk. But when you look back, you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

A: All the people on board are married.

Q: What is it that no one wants to have, but no one wants to lose either?

A: A lawsuit.

Q: I welcome the day with a show of light, I stealthily came here in the night.I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn, But by noon, alas! I'm gone.

A: The morning dew.

Q: What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?

Q: What can be touched but can't be seen?

A: Someone’s heart.

Q: In a bus, there is a 26-year-old pregnant lady, a 30-year-old policeman, a 52-year-old random woman, and the driver who is 65 years old. Who is the youngest?

A: The baby of the pregnant lady.

Q: When it is alive we sing, when it is dead we clap our hands. What is it?

A: A birthday candle.

Q: What can go through glass without breaking it?

Q: What gets bigger the more you take away?

Q: I have no life, but I can die. What am I?

A: A battery.

Q: What kind of room has no walls, door or windows?

A: A mushroom.

Q: It belongs to you, but your friends use it more. What is it?

A: Your name.

Q: What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?

A: Lunch and dinner.

Q: I make a loud sound when I’m changing. When I do change, I get bigger but weigh less. What am I?

A: Popcorn.

Q: It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it?

A: A keyboard.

Q: I’m orange, I wear a green hat and I sound like a parrot. What am I?

A: A carrot.

Q: What runs all around a backyard, yet never moves?

A: A fence.

Q: Take off my skin - I won't cry, but you will! What am I?

A: An onion.

Q: What invention lets you look right through a wall?

A: A window.

Q: What is always on its way but never arrives?

A: Tomorrow.

Q: Two girls were born to the same mother, on the same day, at the same time, in the same month and year, and yet they're not twins. How can this be?

A: The two babies are two of a set of triplets.

Q: What has a bottom at the top?

A: Your legs.

Q: What can you catch but never throw?

Q: What has many teeth but cannot bite?

Q: What has branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves?

Q: What thrives when you feed it but dies when you water it?

Q: What do you buy to eat but never consume?

A: Cutlery.

Q: Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?

A: They are grandfather, father, and son.

Q: A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?

A: He was walking.

Q: If an electric train is traveling south, then which way is the smoke going?

A: There is no smoke—it's an electric train.

Q: Where is the only place where today comes before yesterday?

A: The dictionary.

Q: What can you put in a bucket to make it weigh less?

Q: How can kids drink beer and not get drunk?

A: By sticking to root beer.

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10 Brilliant Math Brain Teasers

Tap into rigorous problem-solving and critical thinking with these playful math brain teasers for middle and high school students.  

To break the ice during the first few awkward moments of class in the new school year, high school math teacher Lorenzo Robinson uses an unusual strategy: He reads his students’ minds.

Here’s how the mystical feat unfolds: Each student picks a number between 1 and 100. Next, they use calculators to add, subtract, multiply, and divide their way through a set of predetermined numbers. At the end, everyone ends up with the same answer: 427. Robinson isn’t psychic, of course, but because the mechanics of the teaser are always the same, regardless of which initial numbers his students select, he’s able to correctly “guess” their final result—much to their amazement. 

Starting off the lesson with a math brain teaser sets a playful tone and lowers the stakes for kids, “generating a buzz around my class,” Robinson says. “It makes students feel as though this class is not going to be scary, it’s going to be interesting. ‘We’re going to be learning, but we’re also going to have some fun.’” 

Robinson thinks of math brain teasers as a variation on brain breaks —a brief respite from dense curricular material that gives kids time to pause and process. They can also provide an opportunity to build relationships and community as kids put their heads together to find solutions. Good brain teasers can be sneaky: They get kids developing problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 

Meanwhile, before introducing a new one, Robinson works through the problem himself, identifying questions that students might have along the way and making sure his class has the background knowledge to understand how the teaser works. It’s important, he says, to provide a few minutes for kids to examine and discuss the teaser. Ask them to observe, highlight, and share things that stand out. 

“The most powerful reaction is when a kid doesn’t get the correct answer,” Robinson says, and they ask to try the problem again. “They want to feel what the other kids are feeling, that educational euphoria. They want to do it again because they want to be right.” That organic intellectual curiosity is hugely helpful in high school math, Robinson says, because it can be “parlayed into the other stuff that we do.”

We combed through dozens of math brain teasers to find 10 good ones—including several of Robinson’s tried-and-true favorites.  

Number Magic: I’ll Bet Your Number is… 427

• Start by having students pick any number between 1 and 100. 
• Add 28. 
• Multiply that number by 6. 
• Subtract 3. 
• Divide that number by 3. 
• Subtract 3 more than your original number. 
• Add 8. 
• Subtract 1 less than your original number. 
• Multiply that number by 7. 

And voilà, you’ll correctly identify each student’s final result as 427. Courtesy of: Lorenzo Robinson  

Can Your Shoe Size Tell Your Age? 

• Start with your shoe size. If you are a half size—for example, size 8.5—round up to 9.
• Multiply your shoe size by 5. 
• Add 50. 
• Multiply that number by 20. 
• Subtract the year you were born—for example, 1991. Add 1 if you already had your birthday this year. 

The first digit(s) are your shoe size, and the last two digits are your age.  Courtesy of: Lorenzo Robinson.  

Cutting Across a Cross

Ask students to draw a cross on a sheet of paper. Drawing one on the board as a point of reference is helpful. Next, ask students to draw two straight lines that will segment or cut the cross into pieces. The goal is to produce the most pieces.

The solution can be found here .  Sourced from: MathisFun.com .

Number Magic: I’ll Bet Your Final Number is… 5  

• Start with a positive number. Students shouldn’t say the number out loud.
• Square that number. 
• Add 10x the original number to what you have now. 
• Add 25 to the result of the previous step. 
• Now take the square root of that number, rounding to the nearest whole number. 
• Subtract your original number.
• Before students share their final figure, reveal that you guess their collective result is 5. 

Courtesy of: Lorenzo Robinson.

Birthday Math 

Have students work in pairs and share the following instructions with their partner:

• Start with the number 7.
• Multiply that by the month of your birth. For example, if you were born in September, you’d use the number 9 to represent your birth month. 
• Subtract 1. 
• Multiply that number by 13. 
• Add the day of your birth. 
• Add 3. 
• Multiply that number by 11. 
• Subtract the month of your birth. 
• Subtract the day of your birth. 
• Divide by 10.
• Add 11 to that number. 
• Divide by 100. 

The result on the calculator screen should be their partner’s birthday.  Sourced from: Dr. Mike’s Math Games for Kids .

Coin Conundrum

Ask students to imagine that they have two coins that total 30 cents in value. Have them try to figure out what the two coins are, only providing them with a singular piece of information: One of the coins is not a nickel. The answer: A quarter and a nickel. (Only one of the coins is not a nickel.)

Sourced from: WeAreTeachers .

The Phone Number Trick  

• Ignoring your area code, type the first three digits of your phone number into a calculator.
• Multiply that number by 80. 
• Add 1. 
• Multiply that number by 250. 
• Add the last four digits of your phone number. 
• Add the last four digits of your phone number again. 
• Subtract 250. 
• Divide this number by 2. Do you recognize your phone number?

Courtesy of: Lorenzo Robinson. 

A Number Challenge

For a slightly more independent teaser, challenge students to produce a math equation that works using these four numbers—2, 3, 4, and 5—as well as a plus (+) and equal sign (=). Students can work individually, in pairs, or in small groups as they try to create a valid equation. The answer: 2 + 5 = 3 + 4.

Sourced from: WeAreTeachers .  

Math Mind Reader 

Students can work in pairs with this teaser. One person will start off by holding the calculator so their partner cannot see it; the other person can read the steps aloud to the partner with the calculator. 

• The student with the calculator starts by choosing a whole number from 1 to 20 and writing it down on a piece of paper without letting their partner see it. 
• Next, the student with the calculator enters their secret number into the calculator. 
• Multiply that number by 3. 
• Add the secret number, then subtract 5. 
• Multiply by 3, then multiply by 3 again. 
• Add the secret number, then subtract the number of their favorite month (you don’t have to know what month it is). For example, 9 represents the ninth month of the year, September. 
• Multiply by 3, then multiply by 3 again, and then again a third time. 
• Add the secret number, then subtract their favorite day of the month (again, you don’t have to know what it is on your end). 
• Ask them to show the non-calculator partner the result. At this stage, the non-calculator partner can guess the original secret number, even though what appears on the screen may be a very large number. 

If the result is negative, their secret number is 1.

If the result has only three digits, their secret number is 2.

In all other cases, ignore the last three digits, and then add 2 to get the secret number! 

Sourced from: Dr. Mike’s Math Games for Kids .

What’s Unique About This Number?

After writing the number 8,549,176,320 on the board, ask students to observe the number and tell you everything they think is unique about the number.

Answer: It is the digits 0 to 9 in alphabetical order (eight, five, four, nine, one, seven, six, three, two, zero), but it’s surprising and fun to see what students come up with. This number can also be evenly divided by the digits 1 through 9 except for the number 7, for example. 

Sourced from: MathisFun.com . 

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6 Science Brain Teasers to Challenge Your Critical Thinking

Page Contents

Did you know that engaging in brain teasers can increase cognitive abilities? The benefits of brain teasers , particularly science brain teasers, can boost memory and problem-solving skills. Now, who doesn’t want a fun and effective way to boost their brainpower?

In this article, we’re going to challenge your neurons. we will also test your logic with 6 fascinating science brain teasers., so, science lovers, get ready to delve into the world of atoms, gravity, and dna, all while having a fantastic time let’s dive in.

1. The Escaping Gas

Imagine you find yourself in a sealed room filled with an unknown gas. as you stand there, you suddenly notice a significant increase in pressure. it causes a sense of urgency., in this situation, it is crucial to assess your surroundings. act swiftly to ensure your safety., 2. the atoms puzzle, in a closed container, there are three types of gas atoms – a, b, and c. each atom has a different mass, arranged in a random order. the container is at a constant temperature, and the atoms are initially at rest., suddenly, due to a subtle change in the conditions, the atoms start to move freely inside the container. they started colliding with each other and with the walls of the container. however, despite their newfound freedom, the atoms remain confined within the container., now, the question arises. which gas will have the most significant impact on the pressure inside the container, 3. the memory supplement mystery, imagine you’ve discovered more about memory supplements that claim to boost brainpower. the supplement has three main ingredients: ingredients x, y, and z. intriguing, isn’t it memory supplements, much like brain teasers, have piqued interest in the scientific community., however, the manufacturers have forgotten to list the primary ingredient. and it is the one that aids memory enhancement. your task is to figure out the primary ingredient., 4. the paradox of gravity, we all know that gravity pulls objects towards each other. have you ever thought about what would happen if you put two things of the same size and weight far apart and their gravitational pull is the same, would they stay motionless, locked in a delicate balance or would they eventually start moving towards each other, surrendering to the invisible force, exploring this intriguing scenario opens up a fascinating realm of possibilities. it also prompts us to delve deeper into the mysteries of the universe., 5. the dna strand, the human body has approximately 37 trillion cells. each cell contains a dna strand that is about 2 meters long. how can such a long dna strand fit into a tiny cell, 6. the mystery of black holes, black holes are one of the universe’s most captivating and mysterious phenomena. they are regions in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape., but have you ever wondered what would happen if someone attempted to enter a black hole would they be crushed by its immense gravity or transported to another dimension, unleash your inner scientist with these science brain teasers, get your thinking caps on because these science brain teasers are sure to challenge your critical thinking skills. not only will you have fun solving them, but you’ll also be giving your brain a workout, so, go ahead and try these brain puzzles out with your friends and family. you never know, you might just discover., ready to put your brain to the ultimate test visit our website for more exciting topics not only will you challenge your cognitive abilities, but you’ll also uncover more facts, read more –  brain is a complex machine that controls every aspect of our lives, related articles more from author, the willamette meteorite, lcs-1 – the oldest functioning satellite, the basics of polymers: a versatile material, are lipids and carbohydrates polymers, brain physiology and learning, what is pichia pastoris and why is it useful, leave a reply cancel reply.

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100+ BRAIN TEASERS FOR KIDS AND ADULTS (WITH ANSWERS)

Brain teasers that require thought, intellect, and a dab of creativity. Moreover, teasing your brain will require you to think hard and sometimes think outside the box.

• Brain Teasers

Brain Teasers to Solve

A brain teaser is a type of puzzle that requires thinking outside of the box and using logic, creativity, and problem-solving skills to solve. It is designed to challenge and stimulate the brain, often requiring a combination of math, language, and visual skills. Brain teasers can come in many different forms, such as riddles , puzzles, and games. They can range in difficulty from easy to extremely challenging and can be solved individually or as a group. The goal of a brain teaser is often to find a hidden solution or pattern that is not immediately obvious and to use critical thinking and reasoning to arrive at the answer. Solving brain teasers can improve cognitive function, memory, and creativity, and can also be a fun and entertaining way to pass the time.

In addition, parents introduce their children to riddles for many reasons.  Solving riddles for kids can significantly accelerate brain development.

You Live In A One Story House Made Entirely Of Redwood

Carnival Trick Riddle

The mustard family riddle.

Six Faces 21 Eyes

A woman shoots her husband riddle.

There Are 10 People In A Room

Always In You, Sometimes On You; If I Surround You I Can Kill You

Strange subtraction, i have a little house in which i live all alone. it has no doors, i am a word of six; my first three letters refer to an automobile, two girls have the same parents and were born at the same hour, a time when they are green a time when they're brown, when can you add two to eleven and get one, sometimes i am born in silence, other times no i am unseen, a pregnant lady named her children, the death of romeo and juliet, i'm not clothes but i cover your body, three playing cards in a row, building riddle, search riddles, follow riddles, share riddles.

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5 Brain Teasers to Boost Students Critical Thinking Skills

How to Solve Critical Thinking Brain Teasers

Answers to critical thinking brain teasers, list of brain teasers and riddles.

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Brain Easer is about the joy of thinking hard and solving puzzles.

We share and explain a variety of fun and elegant brain teasers and puzzles, so you can challenge yourself, test your critical thinking, and find joy in solving tough problems.

Logic puzzles.

Amy says Brad is lying. Brad says Chris is lying. Chris says both Amy and Brad are lying.

Who is lying and who is telling the truth?

Word Puzzles

What is a special property or feature that all of the following words have in common?

banana, uneven, grammar, voodoo, assess, potato, revive, dresser

Rebus Puzzles

What common word or phrase is this rebus referring to? —

GIVE GIVE GIVE GIVE GET GET GET GET

Prefer solving with your hands?

Looking for an engineering or finance job some still ask brain teaser interview questions.

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Brain Teasers to Build Critical Thinking Skills: Brain Exercises for Tech, Banking, Case Interview Prep, and to Keep Your Mind Sharp Paperback – June 14, 2023

Put your mind to the test and build your critical thinking skills with these fun and challenging brain teasers and riddles.

Riddles and brainteasers can be found throughout history and around the world. This book collects 190+ challenging mind-benders. You can use it for fun, to build your critical thinking skills, and to sharpen your mind.

You can also use it as part of banking, tech, and case interview prep, as brain teasers are used as part of job interviews in consulting, banking and tech. Even if you are not asked a brain teaser question during your interview, using this book of brain teasers with answers and explanations as part of your job interview preparation will keep your mind sharp and help you enhance your critical thinking skills.

It is like going to the gym. You may not be asked to do a particular exercise you did daily, but it makes you an overall stronger performer.

The brain teasers are broken into three sections: easy, medium, and hard. Each section is followed not only by an answer to each brain teaser presented but also an explanation of how to solve this brain teaser, a unique extra step we added to help you become an even stronger critical thinker.

From an introductory section explaining the rules and outlining what’s to come to the brain teasers and riddles which progress through Easy, Medium, and up to a final expert level (Hard) - this book will help you enhance your critical skills and ability to think creatively.

Get ready to sharpen your mind with this ultimate book of brain teasers.

• Print length 244 pages
• Language English
• Publication date June 14, 2023
• Dimensions 6 x 0.55 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 1956580158
• ISBN-13 978-1956580150
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Firmsconsulting LLC (June 14, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 244 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1956580158
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1956580150
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.2 ounces
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.55 x 9 inches
• #7,024 in Business Decision Making
• #8,647 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
• #55,533 in Education Theory (Books)

About the author

Kris safarova.

Kris Safarova is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author. She is the founder and CEO of FIRMSconsulting.com and its OTT arm, StrategyTraining.com: the world’s largest strategy streaming channel. She works with a network of ex-McKinsey, BCG, et al. partners to produce original strategy/leadership training videos, podcasts, and books. She manages several of the top podcast channels worldwide for strategy and management consulting, ranked in the Top-10 for careers in many countries, and is the author of five books on business strategy.

Kris believes in the power of logic, critical thinking, and storytelling to help our clients solve mankind’s toughest problems.

FIRMSconsulting is a private equity firm that partners with governments and past clients to take ownership and operating control of businesses. We deploy seasoned ex-McKinsey, BCG, et al. partners to manage each business. This process is documented to produce original programming - books, analysis slides, videos, and podcasts - for the streaming platforms. Recent investments include digitizing a miner in Asia, an electric car business in China, a luxury brands boutique in Europe, and a new-age cosmetics start-up in California. 


Kris Safarova received a Dipl. in Music with a concentration in Classical Piano from DG Shatalov Music College, a B.Comm from UNISA, cum laude with highest distinction and an MBA from Ivey Business School, University of Western Ontario in Canada, on the dean's list with highest distinction, where she was President of the Public Sector Club and Editor of the Public Sector Journal. Prior to obtaining her business degrees, she worked in management consulting and post-MBA she was a banker and consulting engagement manager in Toronto, Canada. 

Prior to consulting Kris was a master classical concert pianist and official music representative of the Russian Federation who toured Europe. She joined FIRMSconsulting.com as a Partner, Corporate Finance in 2015 and was appointed Presiding Partner in 2016.

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What Are Brain Teasers?

Who doesn't love to solve riddles and puzzles? Their tricky nature can be frustrating, but solving them is enjoyable.

If you want an activity that makes you think outside of the box, brain teasers are exactly what you need to be solving! Brain teasers are more than just simple puzzles and riddles. Brain teasers are fun to do, but they also boost your brainpower and improve your memory skills. Both kids and adults can enjoy the benefits that brain teasers entail. Brain teasers can be a bit complicated, like all puzzles and riddles, and some often make you ponder for a while.

According to research, any activity that tests the power of your brain using numbers and puzzles is bound to have a positive impact on your brain's activity by strengthening existing neural connections and building new connections. Now, let's try to understand brain teasers with the help of a few examples. Read along to find out.

Brain teasers are forms of word problems, questions, or puzzles that people solve for amusement as they require you to use unconventional and lateral thinking to derive the answers. This often means that the solution is rarely right in front of you, and you have to be creative and less straightforward to solve a brain teaser.

When you finally hear the answer to a brain teaser, you may feel silly as the answer should have been obvious to you. However, mastering brain teasers requires a lot of practice. So, don't be discouraged if you don't reach the answer in the first few attempts.

Teachers often use brain teachers to sharpen the minds of their students by creating a fun learning experience for them that they can enjoy with their classmates. Both children and adults enjoy brain teasers. Companies often use brain teasers during interviews to assess the candidate's ability to be creative and think logically, which are essential skills required in a job.

The different primary types of brain teasers are as follows:

- Riddles - Visual Puzzles - Illusions - Anagrams - Optical illusions - Stories with holes

While solving brain teasers, it is more important how you approach the answer than the answer itself. Your approach is the real test. Let's look at a few examples of brain teasers!

Example #1: "There are three houses. One is red, one is blue, and one is white. If the red house is to the left of the house in the middle, and the blue house is to the right of the house in the middle, where is the white house?" Answer: In Washington, D.C.!

Example #2:

"Jimmy's mother had four children. She named the first Monday. She named the second Tuesday, and she named the third Wednesday. What is the name of the fourth child?" Answer: Jimmy, because Jimmy's mother had four children!

Example #3:

"How can 8 + 8 = 4?" Answer: Think in terms of time: 8 AM + 8 hours= 4 o'clock.

Looking at the three examples of brain teasers, you might notice one thing that's in common: they are not straightforward and require you to think long and hard to solve them. Here are a few simple steps that you can follow to solve brain teasers.

Tips on How to Solve Brain Teasers - We have put together some simple tips that you can use to solve brain teaser problems effectively.

1. Read the question carefully and take a moment to consider what is being asked carefully. You might have a few answers running through your mind as you read it. If you think the answer is too straightforward, it may not be true. You may have to read the brain teaser repeatedly to understand it fully.

2. Relax; you might not understand the problem right away. Try to rewrite it in your own words or think aloud and explain the problem to yourself and make mental notes.

3. List down all possible responses coming to your mind, then reread the problem, and you'll find yourself crossing out a lot of those answers, leaving you with only a couple of answers. Choose the one you think is most likely the answer.

4. Don't feel frustrated if you don't get it right the first time. Practice makes perfect! Brain teasers are tricky, but they provide a great workout for the brain.

Did you know that brain teasers have a lot of benefits besides just being fun and enjoyable? Let's take a look at how they are beneficial for you!

Benefits of Solving Brain Teasers

1. Brain Teasers Improve Your Memory Skills

Brain teasers provide a good workout for your brain. Solving brainteasers reinforces the connections between your brain cells. Solving such problems requires remembering patterns, shapes, and other information, strengthening your memory and concentration skills.

2. Brain Teasers Improve Your Ability to Solve Problems

You need to have good problem-solving skills in all aspects of life, and solving brain teasers can help you develop these skills. While solving these problems, you push yourself and challenge your brain to develop new solutions, improving your critical thinking skills and ability to solve problems in real life.

3. Brain Teasers Reduce Stress

Solving Brainteasers is a healthy and productive activity that puts you in a better mood and reduces stress levels it takes your mind off any negative thoughts. It engages it in solving a problem, which boosts confidence when you get it right.

4. Brain Teasers Improve Your IQ

Since brain teasers improve your cognitive, problem-solving, memory, and critical thinking skills, this helps improve your IQ. According to a study, brain teasers for 25 minutes daily can improve your IQ by 4 points.

Solving brain teasers are fun, and it benefits you by reducing stress level and improving your memory, problem-solving and cognitive skills. Don't miss out and start practicing brain teasers online. You'll master them with time! Solving brain teasers is a way to give your brain a healthy workout.

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

We are a team specializing in writing essays and other assignments for college students and all other types of customers who need a helping hand in its making. We cover a great range of topics, offer perfect quality work, always deliver on time and aim to leave our customers completely satisfied with what they ordered.

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Brain Teasers for Team Building | Strengthen Your Team’s Bond

Written by Lisa Lawrence

Team building events | team collaboration | team communication, november 27, 2023.

Are you seeking new ways to enhance your team’s bond and productivity?

Look no further than team building brain teasers.

These innovative challenges encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while promoting a fun and engaging atmosphere.

Whether you’re looking for icebreakers, group activities, or competitive games, there is no shortage of options when it comes to team building brain teasers.

These challenges are designed to cater to different skill levels and preferences, making them an excellent addition to any team building routine.

From remote teams to in-person meetings, team building brain teasers offer a versatile solution for boosting morale, creativity, and communication within your team.

Keep reading to discover the benefits of incorporating brain teasers into your team building activities , how to choose the right challenges, and more.

Brain Power: Innovative Teasers to Strengthen Your Team’s Bond

Key takeaways:.

• Team building brain teasers can enhance critical thinking , collaboration, and problem-solving skills.
• There are a variety of team building brain teasers, including icebreakers, group activities , and competitive games.
• Brain teasers can be tailored to different skill levels and preferences.
• Team building brain teasers can be used for both remote teams and in-person meetings.
• Incorporating brain teasers into your team building routine can boost morale, creativity, and communication within your team.

The Benefits of Team Building Brain Teasers

Team building brain teasers offer a range of benefits for your team . Firstly, these activities serve as engaging icebreakers that help members get to know each other better.

By participating in problem-solving activities , members learn to trust and rely on each other, fostering a sense of camaraderie and cooperation.

Additionally, mind games stimulate critical thinking and enhance problem-solving skills.

When your team works through mental challenges together, they learn to approach problems from different angles and develop innovative solutions.

This ultimately leads to increased productivity and efficiency when problem-solving within the team setting.

Moreover, incorporating icebreakers and mind games into team building activities can help ease tension and anxiety in high-pressure situations.

This can be especially helpful during team meetings or when working towards a tight deadline.

Overall, team building brain teasers offer a fun and engaging way for your team to develop critical skills and bond with each other.

Choosing the Right Brain Teasers for Your Team

While brain teasers can be a fun addition to any team building session , not all exercises are created equal.

It’s crucial to select puzzles and activities that cater to your team’s needs, skill levels, and preferences. Consider the following options:

Critical Thinking Exercises

These exercises challenge your team to use logic and reasoning to solve problems . They can help improve decision-making skills and promote innovation. Example exercises include:

• The Lateral Thinking Puzzle:  This challenge requires participants to think outside the box and use creativity to solve a problem.
• The Coin Weighing Puzzle:  This exercise involves weighing different sets of coins to determine which is counterfeit. It requires attention to detail and problem-solving skills.

Interactive Group Activities

Group activities can foster collaboration and encourage teamwork. They allow team members to communicate and work together to achieve a common goal. Example activities include:

• The Marshmallow Challenge:  This classic team building activity requires participants to build a tower using uncooked spaghetti, tape, and a marshmallow.
• The Blindfolded Obstacle Course:  This exercise involves navigating an obstacle course while blindfolded. It requires trust and effective communication.

Collaborative Puzzles

Puzzles can be an excellent way to develop problem-solving skills and promote teamwork. They offer a more relaxed environment for team members to interact. Example puzzles include:

• The Jigsaw Puzzle:  This classic puzzle involves piecing together an image from various puzzle pieces. It promotes collaboration and patience.
• The Escape Room Puzzle:  In this activity, participants work together to solve a series of puzzles and escape a room. It requires effective communication and teamwork.

Consider mixing and matching these different types of exercises to create a well-rounded team building experience. Keep in mind your team’s interests and skill levels, and aim to challenge them without causing frustration.

Brain Teasers for Team Building:  Getting Started

Ready to boost your team’s problem-solving skills and foster creativity? Look no further than these engaging team building exercises, problem-solving activities, and team building games:

These team building exercises and problem-solving activities can be tailored to fit your team’s needs and preferences.

Incorporate them into your regular team meetings to promote creativity and communication while strengthening your team’s bond.

As you begin incorporating brain teasers into your team building routine, keep in mind the importance of promoting a positive and supportive environment.

Encourage all team members to participate and collaborate, and avoid placing too much emphasis on competition.

By working together and supporting one another, your team can accomplish great things.

Enhancing Collaboration through Brain Teasers

Collaboration is key to any successful team, and brain teasers can take your team’s collaborative skills to the next level.

These team building activities encourage your team to work together to solve problems and challenges.

One great way to enhance collaboration is through collaborative puzzles.

These puzzles require multiple people to work together to solve a challenge, which builds trust and communication skills. Some great collaborative puzzles to try with your team include:

• Jigsaw puzzles
• Escape room challenges
• Bridge building exercises

Critical thinking exercises also provide a great opportunity for collaboration.

These exercises require your team to analyze a problem and come up with a solution together. Some examples of critical thinking exercises include:

• Brainstorming sessions
• SWOT analysis
• Scavenger hunts

When working on collaborative puzzles or critical thinking exercises, it’s important to encourage everyone on the team to participate and contribute.

This helps build a sense of teamwork and ensures that everyone feels valued.

By enhancing collaboration through brain teasers, you can create a stronger, more cohesive team that is better equipped to tackle any challenge that comes their way.

The Power of Competition in Brain Teasers

Healthy competition can be an effective way to boost motivation and teamwork in team building brain teasers.

Incorporating competitive elements in problem-solving activities and group games can add an extra layer of excitement and encourage your team to work collaboratively to achieve a common goal.

Here are some team building games that you can try:

Remember, the aim of introducing competition is to foster collaboration and not create hostility or tension between team members.

Be sure to set clear rules and guidelines to ensure a fair and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Team building brain teasers that include competitive elements can be a fun and effective way to encourage your team to work together towards a common goal.

By fostering a sense of healthy competition, your team can develop stronger bonds and hone their problem-solving skills in a dynamic and engaging way.

Brain Teasers for Creativity and Innovation

Team building brain teasers are not only for critical thinking and problem-solving. They can also be a powerful tool to promote creativity and innovation within your team.

By engaging in activities that challenge your team’s imagination, you can unlock innovative solutions to complex problems and foster a culture of creativity.

Here are some brain teasers for creativity and innovation that you can try with your team:

• It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s…?  This team-building activity encourages your team to come up with a new superhero with a unique set of powers and a backstory. Have your team break into groups and brainstorm their superhero’s abilities, origin story, and personality. Encourage them to get as creative as possible and present their ideas to the rest of the team.
• The Rube Goldberg Machine Challenge  is a fun and challenging team-building activity that requires creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Divide your team into groups, assign them a specific task, and provide them with a selection of items such as dominoes, marbles, and toy cars. The challenge is to build a machine that can complete the task in as many steps as possible using only the provided items. The team that completes the task in the fewest steps wins the challenge.
• The Who, What, and Why Game  is a simple but effective critical thinking exercise that encourages creativity and imagination. Provide your team with a situation, such as “A man walks into a coffee shop and orders a latte.” Then, have your team answer the questions: “Who is the man?” “What is his backstory?” and “Why did he order a latte?” Encourage your team to get as creative as possible and share their answers with the rest of the group.

These brain teasers for creativity and innovation can help your team think outside the box, generating imaginative solutions to complex problems.

Incorporate these activities into your team building routine to foster a culture of innovation and creativity.

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Brain Teasers for Remote Teams

Remote teams may not be in the same room, but they can still benefit from team building brain teasers.

It’s important to engage your virtual workforce with problem-solving activities and icebreakers that bridge the distance.

Team building exercises:  One popular team building exercise for remote teams is the “virtual scavenger hunt.

Send your team on a mission to find certain items in their homes or online, with a prize for the winning team.

This not only promotes teamwork and problem-solving, but it also gives your team a chance to get to know each other better.

Problem-solving activities:  There are many problem-solving activities that can be done online, such as virtual escape rooms or online puzzle challenges.

These activities encourage your team to work together and think creatively to find solutions.

Icebreakers:  Starting a virtual meeting with an icebreaker can help break down barriers and create a more relaxed environment.

One example is “Two Truths and a Lie,” where each team member shares two true statements and one false statement about themselves, and the rest of the team has to guess which one is the lie.

Remote teams can also benefit from collaborative puzzles and critical thinking exercises, just like in-person teams.

It’s important to ensure that each team member has access to the necessary technology and resources to participate fully.

“Remote teams may not be in the same room, but they can still benefit from team building brain teasers.”

Example: Virtual Scavenger Hunt

This table shows an example of a virtual scavenger hunt. Each item has a point value, and the team with the most points at the end of the scavenger hunt wins.

Making Team Building Brain Teasers a Habit

Congratulations! You have successfully integrated team building brain teasers into your team’s routine. Now, it’s time to take it up a notch and make it a habit.

Set a Regular Schedule

To make team building brain teasers a consistent part of your team’s routine, set a regular schedule for these activities.

This could be a weekly or monthly occurrence, depending on your team’s availability and preferences.

By creating a predictable schedule, your team will be more likely to prioritize and participate in these engaging activities.

It’s important to keep things fresh and exciting to prevent your team from feeling bored or disengaged.

Mix up the types of team building activities, team building games , and collaborative puzzles you use.

Don’t be afraid to try new brain teasers that challenge your team in different ways.

Encourage Feedback

Your team’s feedback is crucial to improving and refining your team building brain teasers over time.

Encourage open communication and feedback from your team members after each activity.

This will help you understand what worked well and what could be improved. Use this feedback to tailor future activities and customize them to your team’s preferences.

Celebrate Progress

Finally, celebrate your team’s progress and growth in their teamwork and problem-solving skills.

Recognize and acknowledge team members for their participation, contributions, and accomplishments during team building brain teasers.

By celebrating progress, you reinforce the importance of these activities and motivate your team to continue participating in them.

Frequently Asked Questions

frequently asked questions

What are team building brain teasers?

Team building brain teasers are innovative challenges and puzzles designed to strengthen the bond between team members while boosting productivity and cooperation.

What are the benefits of team building brain teasers?

Team building brain teasers serve as engaging icebreakers, enhance problem-solving skills, and stimulate critical thinking.

They can encourage collaboration and improve teamwork.

How do I choose the right brain teasers for my team?

To choose the right brain teasers for your team, consider their skill levels and preferences.

Explore critical thinking exercises, interactive group activities , and collaborative puzzles that cater to their needs.

How can I get started with brain teasers for team building?

To get started with brain teasers for team building, explore a variety of exercises and games specifically designed to engage your team.

These activities foster creativity, problem-solving, and communication.

How can brain teasers enhance collaboration within my team?

Brain teasers encourage collaborative problem-solving and critical thinking.

By completing team building activities that require cooperation, team members can strengthen their bonds and improve communication.

What is the role of competition in team building brain teasers?

Incorporating healthy competition into team building brain teasers can fuel motivation and teamwork.

Competitive games and group activities can enhance problem-solving skills and encourage collaboration.

How can brain teasers foster creativity and innovation within my team?

Brain teasers challenge your team to think outside the box, sparking imaginative solutions and fostering a culture of innovation.

These activities can unleash your team’s creativity and inspire innovative thinking.

Are there brain teasers specifically designed for remote teams?

Yes, there are brain teasers and activities specifically tailored for remote teams.

These exercises can engage your virtual workforce, bridge the distance, and encourage problem-solving and collaboration.

How can I make team building brain teasers a habit?

To make team building brain teasers a consistent part of your team’s routine, integrate these engaging activities into your regular team meetings.

This fosters continuous growth and strengthens the bond among team members.

Attention: HR Managers, Team Leaders and Executive Assistants

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