Math Brain Teasers for Kids: Learn Math in a Fun and Interesting Way

Mathematics, or Maths, is one such subject that most of us dreaded at some point in our education. It’s a subject that is both loved and hated at the same time. But, Mathematics relates to everything we do in our daily life, making it important to learn and understand.

Hence, parents need to inculcate a love for mathematics in kids from a very young age, as it nurtures their problem-solving abilities. Encouraging young children to be involved in Mathematics and practising it every day will sharpen their brains and give them an idea of the real-world calculations that are helpful for them.

Brain Teasers

We understand that Maths is an important subject to be taught to your kid, but the question is, how can we indulge the young and tender minds into such a complex subject? Well, kids, especially below the age of 15, are more active and creative than adults, and will always try to look for answers to questions that amuse them.

Forcing them to solve a set of problems containing numbers and symbols will not draw their attention, nor will it help them. Hence, in this case, “Brain Teasers for kids” come in handy. Brain teasers are a form of a puzzle and have a plot to them.

This article will look into math brain teasers for kids that focus on math problems that require creative thinking to solve. These would attract the kid’s imaginative thinking and engage them in maths and problem-solving.

Math Brain Teasers

Mathematics teasers are a fun way for children to engage with maths problems in a simple and creative way. We have put together some of the interesting and fun brain teasers for kids with answers.

Brain Teaser 1

A shepherd had fourteen sheep, and four of them died. How many sheep does he have now?

Ans: Ten.

Explanation: At first, the shepherd has 14 sheep, but when 4 of them die, we subtract 4 from 14. So, we got 10 sheep.

Brain Teaser 2

I am number nine, and I get multiplied by 2. What am I now?

Ans: Eighteen.

Explanation: Here, we use multiplication and multiply nine with two, i.e., 9 x 2 = 18.

Brain Teaser 3

A boy is 2 years old, his brother half as old as him. When the first boy is 50 years, how old will his brother be?

Ans: Forty years old.

Explanation: It is simple, his brother is 1-year old, which is half of his brother’s age, i.e., 2 years old.

Brain Teaser 4

If you are 10 years old and your father is 40 years old. How old will your father be when you are 22 years old?

Ans: Fifty-two years old.

Explanation: When you are 10 years, your father is 40 years old, which means the difference between your age and your father’s age is 20, i.e., 40 – 10 = 30. So, you are 22 years; your father would be 22 + 30, i.e., 52 years old.

Brain Teaser 5

How can you get 1234 by adding and arranging only ten ones?

Ans: 1 + 11 + 111 + 1111 = 1234

Brain Teaser 6

Given that, 1=3, 2=3, 4=4, 5=4, 6=3, 7=5, 8=5, 9=4, 10=3, 11=?

Ans: It’s 6.

Explanation: The answer is equal to the number of letters in the corresponding number.

Brain Teaser 7

If you travelled around the world for 5 years, how many days did you travel?

Ans: 1826 days.

Explanation: Each year has 365 days, but every fourth year is a leap and a leap year has 366 days. So, ( 5 x 365 ) + 1 = 1826.

Brain Teaser 8

Find the missing number in the below sequence,
1997, 1999, ?, 2011, 2017, 2027.
Ans: 2003

Explanation: The given sequence is a series of prime numbers. A number is said to be a prime if the factors of the number are 1 and itself.

Brain Teaser 9

Using only five nines, make an equation that equals 1000.

Ans: 999 + (9/9) = 1000.

Brain Teaser 10

I am less than 10 but greater than 5. I am the sum of the number of sides of two triangles. Who am I?
Ans: 6.

Explanation: In the given teasers, the number is less than 10 but greater than 5. So, it lies between 5 to 10. But it is also equal to the sum of the number of sides of two triangles which is 3 + 3 = 6 ( as a triangle has 3 sides ).

Brain Teaser 11

If 1 + 9 + 8 = 1, then what can be 2 + 8 + 9?
Ans: Ten (10)

Explanation:It is a bit tricky; we need to consider the first letter of each number given on the left-hand side, i.e., for 1 + 9 + 8  One + Nine + Eight = ONE. Similarly, Two + Eight + Nine = TEN.

Brain Teaser 12

John has 10 sons, and each one of them has two sisters. How many kids does John have?
Ans: 12 kids.

Explanation: As all the ten sons have two sisters in common, it would be 10 + 2 = 12 kids.

Brain Teaser 13

What is half of two plus two?
Ans: Three.

Explanation:  1/2 x 2 + 2 = 1 + 2 = 3, this is done using BODMAS ( Brackets of Division Multiplication Addition Subtraction ) which tells us that multiplication is performed prior to addition.

Brain Teaser 14

There are 100 pairs of rabbits. Three pairs of babies are born for every rabbit. Unfortunately, 52 of the rabbits couldn’t survive. How many rabbits are left now?
Ans: 1,148

Explanation: A pair of rabbits is equal to 2 rabbits and three pairs of rabbits is equal to 6 rabbits. So, 100 x 2 = 200, 200 x 6 = 1200 and 52 couldn’t survive, 1200 – 52 = 1148 rabbits.

Conclusion

So, these were some of the easy, yet interesting math questions for kids to engage them. They are not regular math questions with just mathematical symbols and numbers put together, these math brain teasers require critical thinking, analysing the problem, and its logic to solve them. These teasers will help improve your kids’ thinking ability, in addition to being fun and engaging.

Continue reading the Real School Of Montessori blogs for more informative content and effective strategies for your kid’s overall development. At the Real School Of Montessori, we provide personalised online mentoring for kids to become problem solvers, thinkers, and innovators for overall exposure for your kid. Our personal mentors will keep a check on the kid’s progress, motivate them, and work with them for constant improvement. Check out our free trial class to make the next best decision for your kids!