Riddles and puzzles for brain development. Pump up your brain: types of puzzles for different age categories
With a catch, which have gained popularity among a huge number of different people, not only due to the ability to use them in the educational process, but also because of the entertainment component.
Such riddles help broaden the horizons of both children and adults, and are of interest to those who want to expand their knowledge. They are light and simple. Let's begin.
1. A man is standing on one side of the river, his dog is on the other. He calls the dog, and he immediately comes running to his owner, without getting wet, without using either a boat or a bridge. How did she do it?
2. What is unusual about the numbers 8, 549, 176, 320?
3. A 12-round fight is scheduled between two boxers. After 6 rounds, one boxer is knocked out on the floor, but none of the men is considered a loser. How is this possible?
4. In 1990 a person turned 15 years old, in 1995 the same person turned 10. How is this possible?
5. You are standing in the corridor. In front of you are three doors into three rooms and three switches. You can't see what's going on in the rooms, and you can only get into them through the door. You can enter each room once and only when all the switches are turned off. How do you know which switch belongs to which room?
6. Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April, the second was named May. What was the name of the third child?
7. Before the discovery of Mount Everest, what was the highest peak in the world?
8. Which word is always spelled incorrectly?
9. Billy was born on December 25, but his birthday always falls in the summer. How is this possible?
10. A truck driver is driving in the opposite direction on a one-way street. Why don't the police stop him?
11. How can you throw a raw egg on a concrete floor without breaking it?
12. How can a person last eight days without sleep?
13. The doctor gave you three tablets and told you to take one every half hour. How long will it take you to take all the pills?
14. You entered a dark room with one match. There is an oil lamp, newspaper and wooden blocks in the room. What will you light first?
15. Does a man have the right by law to marry his widow’s sister?
16. Some months have 30 days, some have 31 days. How many months have 28 days?
17. What goes up and down but stays in one place?
18. What can you never eat for breakfast?
19. What always increases and never decreases?
20. Imagine that you are in a sinking boat surrounded by sharks. How can you survive?
21. How many times can you subtract 10 from 100?
22. Seven sisters arrived at the dacha, and each of them took up her own business. The first sister cooks, the second works in the garden, the third plays chess, the fourth reads a book, the fifth does a crossword puzzle, the sixth does laundry. What does the seventh sister do?
23. What goes both uphill and downhill, but remains in place?
24. Which table has no legs?
Complex riddles with answers
25.How many years are there in a year?
26. What kind of stopper is impossible to stop any bottle?
27. No one eats it raw, but after cooking it, they throw it away. What is this?
28. The girl wanted to buy a chocolate bar, but she lacked 10 rubles. The boy also wanted to buy a chocolate bar, but he lacked 1 ruble. The children decided to buy one chocolate bar for two, but they still lacked 1 ruble. How much does a chocolate bar cost?
29. A cowboy, a yogi and a gentleman are sitting at the table. How many feet are there on the floor?
30. Nero, George Washington, Napoleon, Sherlock Holmes, William Shakespeare, Ludwig van Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci. Who's the odd one out on this list?
Riddles with a trick
31. Which island calls itself a piece of laundry?
32. – Is it red?
No, black.
Why is she white?
Because it's green.
33. You are sitting on a plane, there is a car in front of you, and a horse behind you. Where are you located?
34. How long should a hard-boiled chicken egg be boiled in water?
35. What unites the numbers 69 and 88?
Logic riddles
36. Whom does God never see, the king sees quite rarely, and the common man sees every day?
37. Who walks while sitting?
38. What is the longest month of the year?
39. How can you jump from a 10-meter ladder without breaking? And not even get hurt?
40. When this item is needed, it is thrown away, and when it is not needed, it is taken with them. What are we talking about?
Riddles with answers
41. Any person receives this for free twice in his life, but if he needs it for the third time, he will have to pay for it. What is this?
42. What state name will you get if you put a small horse between two identical pronouns?
43. The capital of a European state in which blood flows?
44. The combined ages of father and son are 77 years. The son's age is the father's age in reverse. How old are they?
45. If it is white, then it is dirty, and if it is black, then it is clean. What are we talking about?
Challenging riddles
46. Can a person be in a room without his head and still be alive?
47. In what case will you not be able to take the place of a sitting person, even if he stands up?
48. What product can be boiled with even 10 kg of salt and it still will not become salty?
49. Who can easily light a match under water?
50. The plant that knows everything?
51. What will you do if you see a green man?
52. How many stripes does a zebra have?
53. When does a person look like a tree?
54. What can travel around the world while staying in the same corner?
55. Where is the end of the world?
Ready for the answers?
Answers to riddles
1. The river is frozen
2. This number contains all the digits from 0 to 9.
3. Both boxers are female.
4. He was born in 2005 BC.
5. Turn on the right switch and do not turn it off for three minutes. After two minutes, turn on the middle switch and do not turn it off for one minute. When the minute has passed, turn off both switches and enter the rooms. One bulb will be hot (1st switch), the second will be warm (2nd switch), and the cold bulb refers to the switch you didn't touch.
6. Johnny.
7. Everest, it just hasn't been discovered yet.
8. The word "wrong".
9. Billy was born in the southern hemisphere.
10. He is walking along the sidewalk.
11. An egg will not break a concrete floor!
12. Sleep at night.
13. You will need one hour. Take one tablet now, the second after half an hour, and the third after another half hour.
14. Match.
15. No, he's dead.
16. Each month has 28 or more days.
17. Staircase.
19. Age.
20. Stop imagining.
22. The seventh sister plays chess with the third.
23. Road.
24. Dietary.
25. There is one summer a year.
26. Traffic jam.
27. Bay leaf.
28. The price of a chocolate bar is 10 rubles. The girl had no money at all.
29. One foot on the floor. A cowboy puts his feet on the table, a gentleman crosses his legs, and a yogi meditates.
30. Sherlock Holmes, because he is a fictional character.
32. Black currant.
33. Carousel.
34. This does not need to be done, the egg is already boiled.
35. When turned upside down, they look the same.
36. Like yourself.
37. Chess player.
39. Jump off the lowest step.
42. Japan.
44. 07 and 70; 25 and 52; 16 and 61.
45. School board.
46. Yes. You need to stick your head out the window or door.
47. When he sits on your lap.
49. Sailor on a submarine.
51. Cross the road.
52. Two, black and white.
53. When he just woke up (pine, from sleep).
55. Where the shadow begins.
No matter how many correct answers you get, it is not an IQ test. It's important to force your brain to think outside of the ordinary. Below we will give you some tips that will help tune your brain to the right wavelength and prevent it from aging.
Brain exercises
Always have a crossword, puzzle, Sudoku, or any other similar thing that interests you in a prominent place. Spend a few minutes on them every morning to activate your brain.
Regularly attend exhibitions or conferences on topics that are unfamiliar to you. Think about how you can apply what you learn to your industry.
Make sure to find time to train your brain every day.
Often we don’t think about the fact that the brain also needs to be trained. We’re not talking about stressing ourselves out after a hard day at work. These 15 puzzles test your attentiveness and logic.
1. Find 7 differences
Attention task.
2. Find the outline of the face
To find out which celebrity is in the picture, squint your eyes towards the bridge of your nose.
3. Anna was born on December 28, but her birthday always falls in the summer. How can this be?
A mindfulness challenge.
AnswerAnna lives in the southern hemisphere.
4. How many matches do you see in the photo?
Math task.
AnswerSeven and a half
5. Find an empty flask
Warm-up for concentration
6. If at a running competition you overtake the person who is running second, what place will you be in?
Sports-mathematical task
AnswerYou will end up in second place. After all, you overtook the one who was running second, not the first.
Warm up for the mind.
8. What number should be put instead of the question mark?
Development of ingenuity
The answer is the product of six and three, that is, the number 18.
9. Johnny's mother has three children. One is called April, the other is May. What is the name of the third child?
Attention task.
AnswerJohnny.
10. Find the heart
Eye training.
11. Solve: A chicken standing on one leg weighs 2 kg. How much does a chicken weigh standing on two legs?
Well, did you decide everything correctly? Check it out.
Answer: 2 kg.
12. Which hole does the key fit into?
Found the right key?
13. Before Mount Everest was discovered, which mountain was the tallest in the world?
Thinking puzzle
AnswerEverest. They just didn't know about it yet.
14. Read the text correctly
15. Name the color of each word
Warm-up, awakening the brain and its activity.
- How is your brain doing?
Just like when you were twenty! I don’t notice any difference either in terms of susceptibility to delusion or in terms of its capacity. Tomorrow, for example, I am flying to a medical congress.
- However, there must be some limit to the capabilities of the brain, laid down genetically?
No. My brain will soon be a hundred years old, but it is not familiar with decrepitude. My body is shrinking - this cannot be avoided. But the brain is not!
- How do you do this?
The human brain has enormous neuroplasticity. Although some neurons die, others reorganize and carry out their functions. But for this they need to be stimulated.
- But how?!
Keep your brain engaged and active, keep it functioning, and it will never deteriorate.
Excerpt from an interview with Rita Levi-Montalcini, an Italian neuroscientist and Nobel Prize winner in medicine, a few months before she turned 100 years old.
How to use the book
Our reader should realize the great importance of training memory and cognitive abilities. This book is a guide for those who wish to learn weaknesses your memory and learn strategies and techniques to improve its performance.
The author did not try to write a scientific work about memory and does not offer a special exercise program. Memory techniques are presented in game form, because, according to the author, this is the most effective and natural way to train your memory. Play, challenge, competition - this is what motivates us at any age. It is important to understand: a person learns only what seems important, interesting and motivating to him, and forgets everything else.
Difficulty levels
The exercises are divided into levels: easy, medium, difficult and very difficult. Although creating a classification is not an easy task, the reader should keep in mind that it represents only a personal opinion.
In addition, we should not forget that intelligence is characterized by different sides and there is different types intelligence. In other words, what may be easy for one person may be very difficult for another.
Operating procedure
The level of difficulty indicated in each exercise will allow the reader to create his own memory training plan. You can perform the exercises in the suggested order or move from easier to more complex. Any sequence will be correct. The main thing is not to quit classes. Progress and improvement come for everyone in due time, as they depend on the internal rhythm of a person.
Tips
Most of the exercises contain advice that refers to techniques or methods of memorization that make it easier for the reader to solve the problem. In addition, they will allow you to better assimilate the memorization strategies from the theoretical part of the book, since they can be applied in everyday life.
Memory notebook
It is better not to write anything or make notes in the book. It is recommended to keep a notebook, which, if you wish, call it a “memory notebook”. In it, you can record the results of exercises and monitor your progress, or you can keep notes on the mnemonic methods used in each exercise and make notes on what type of memory you think was involved when performing it. Evaluate your work based on the following questions:
Did you spend more or less time on the exercise?
How many objects were remembered and how many of them were remembered correctly?
What difficulties did you encounter while performing the exercise?
How many repetitions did it take to memorize?
Also consider any other criteria you consider necessary.
Answers to exercises
You will find answers to most of the exercises at the end of the book. However, some need to be checked immediately after solving it by re-reading the task or referring to the picture. It is not recommended to look at the answers at the first doubt.
Don't give up! Persistence, perseverance, patience and willpower are the four most important qualities that stimulate our brain. Solving a problem brings great satisfaction. While performing a seemingly incomprehensible game or exercise for the development of intelligence, you will find that the task contains a huge amount of information in a compressed form, which will be revealed to you immediately after solving it. At that very moment, you will feel free from limitations, experience elation, and in an instant move from awareness of your own clumsiness to virtuoso mastery of mental techniques. This feeling, in addition to being very pleasant, is extremely stimulating to the brain.
- Read the assignment carefully, carefully concentrating on all the details.
- Take your time to start the task. Make sure you understand what needs to be done.
- If you understand the task, try to find similar experiences among past events in your life that will help you solve the problem.
- Every exercise is a challenge, so your mental attitude is very important.
- If at first you don't succeed, don't lose heart. Don't quit the exercise. Persistence, perseverance and patience are very useful qualities for solving any problem. Perfect effort will open your strengths and will make you believe in your abilities, including your ability to work long and productively.
- See complexity as a great opportunity to learn something. Remember: the long journey taken to achieve a result is much more important than the result itself.
- At the end of the book you will find answers to the exercises. Check with them after you complete the task.
Forward! Cast aside doubts and make your memory work!
Exercises
The brain is the control center of the body. It provides vital functions, is responsible for thinking and the mind, consciousness and emotions. Due to the fact that the human brain is well developed, we are so strikingly different from other living beings. The possibilities of the mind seem limitless, but in fact, the brain's potential is used to a maximum of 10%, and more often than not.
The brain, like the rest of the human body, needs to regularly test its abilities. If you regularly perform brain exercises, you can become smarter, improve memory and attention, develop imagination and thinking.
To prevent developmental activities from seeming boring, games have been invented that train the mind, logical thinking, memory and attention. The game process brings pleasure to adults and children and lifts their spirits. Team competitions involve excitement and competition, which further stimulate the brain. The competitive process encourages constant improvement of results.
- First of all, you should try yourself in the most popular logic games: chess, checkers, dominoes, go or backgammon. Centuries-old history has proven their positive influence on the development of the mind and intelligence. Such games teach you how to build a strategy, work through options, and think several steps ahead. The brain constantly evaluates the opponent’s moves, looking for the optimal solution. Concentration, attention increases and memory is activated. Chess players have a sharp mind and developed intuition.
- Some card battles, such as poker, are also challenging and interesting, training your attention and analytical skills. Recently it has been gaining popularity card game"Uno."
The peculiarity of these trainings is that you can improve your mind endlessly by choosing a more experienced player as your opponent.
- No less popular and logic puzzles, which are played alone: crosswords, Sudoku, fillwords and others. They are accessible, understandable, but at the same time may have high level complexity.
- Rebuses, which are a word, several letters of which are encrypted in pictures, also develop intelligence and intelligence.
- In some countries, charades are popular - riddles in which a word is divided into parts so that each part is an independent word. Each independent word is described separately, and the goal of the game is to guess the individual words and assemble the original word from them.
- You can independently solve interesting number sequence problems, look at Schulte tables, match riddles, matching problems (such as Einstein's riddle) or a tangram puzzle.
- The “mirror drawing” exercise is interesting from the point of view harmonious development both hemispheres of the brain. A pencil is taken in both hands and a symmetrical figure or letter is drawn with both hands at the same time. It is believed that the brain works more actively when two hemispheres are involved.
Educational board games for the whole family
Exists large number modern board games on memory, attention, thinking or dexterity. These games can be played with children or the whole family, and sometimes they turn out to be surprisingly difficult.
In competitions, children learn from adults, developing the ability to withstand stress, cope with defeat and strive for victory. Volitional qualities stimulate the development of the brain, causing it to work more actively and faster. Wrong decisions in life bring a lot of trouble, but in the game they only increase experience and knowledge, pushing for introspection.
Among the family board games for the mind it is worth noting:
- quizzes on various topics that increase erudition;
- exercises for composing words from a certain set of letters (“Scrabble”, “Scrabble”);
- "Monopoly" and other options for business strategies;
- number combination game "Rummi".
Simple games for any company
Many games for developing the mind do not require additional materials, they can be arranged anywhere.
- A striking example of such a game is the explanation of words using gestures (“Crocodile”). Finding a suitable movement is an interesting task for the brain, activating memory and imagination. The process of guessing is also exciting; you have to go through many options in search of the right answer. The game is liked by adults and children of all ages, it relieves stress and improves relationships in a team, helps to relax and unwind.
- Another version of this quiz offers to explain a word without using it itself or its cognates (“Alias”). You can write words on pieces of paper and play in pairs, trying to guess as many words as possible in a minute (“Hat”).
Mechanical puzzles
- Mechanical puzzles occupy a special place among mental puzzles. The most famous of them is the Rubik's Cube, a unique and addictive game that seems incredibly difficult if you don't understand the principles of its assembly.
- A similar “snake” puzzle has been known to many since childhood; it develops hand motor skills and spatial thinking.
- On sale you can find all kinds of wooden puzzles, from the parts of which several variants of figures are assembled at once. Metal games are basically rings and hooks of various shapes that need to be separated or connected.
Mechanical puzzles are interesting because the mind and hands work simultaneously. It is believed that during such activities the brain works harmoniously and efficiently.
Stress and a passive lifestyle negatively affect the brain and nervous system. The habit of choosing interesting mind games develops natural curiosity, a lively mind, and logical thinking. The game is a great opportunity to take a beneficial break from everyday activities, get a boost of energy and good mood.
There is no muscle tissue in the brain (it consists mainly of fat and water), but this does not mean that it does not need training. Daily intellectual exercises form new neural connections and keep the brain in great shape. Puzzles improve problem solving skills, logical thinking and concentration. Want to be in great mental shape? Exercise more!
Counting numbers
Try to estimate how many times the number five appears in the number sequence from one to one hundred. Did you count? Do not use pens or pieces of paper. Try to keep the whole sequence in your head.
Correct answer:
20 times. Ten times five occurs as the second digit and ten times as the first.
Burnt matches
![](https://i1.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-01.jpg)
The picture shows a grid in which matches are placed. The numbers at the edges of the grid show how many burnt pieces (squares) should be in the line. Matches may be completely or partially burnt or remain intact. The main rule: matches burn only from the red head. Try to “light” matches so that the numbers on the left and above match.
Correct answer:
![](https://i2.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-02.jpg)
Wasted time
Petya and Misha agreed to meet at 2 p.m. Petya thinks that the watch on his wrist is 25 minutes fast, although in fact it is 10 minutes late. Misha is sure that his watch is 10 minutes late, but in fact it is 5 minutes fast. What will happen when they both arrive at appointed time (according to your wristwatch)?
![](https://i2.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-03.jpg)
Correct answer:
Petya will be 35 minutes late, and Misha will arrive 15 minutes earlier.
Meteor shower brings flowers
Stardust brought flower samples from other planets to Earth. One of them still doesn't have a name. If xenobotanists used logic in naming, what name would they give to the last flower? Hint: don’t look for these names in dictionaries, it’s better to take a closer look at the flowers.
![](https://i0.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-04.jpg)
Correct answer:
Cosmofilium jupibristo. It was necessary to search by analogy. The first part of the first word (cosmo) is the shade of the flower in the center. The second part of the first word (filium) is the color of the petals. The first part of the second word (jupi) is the shape of the flower in the center. The second part of the second word (brito) is the shape of the petals.
Let's grow according to height
Six neighbor children - Olesya, Ivan, Anya, Sveta, Oleg and Zina - had their height measured yesterday. Oleg is taller than Anya, but shorter than Zina. Olesya is taller than Ivan, but shorter than Anya and Oleg. Ivan is not the smallest. Try making a list of children in descending order by height (tallest to shortest).
![](https://i1.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-05.jpg)
Correct answer:
Zina, Oleg, Anya, Olesya, Ivan, Sveta.
Math in bubbles
![](https://i1.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-06.jpg)
Each bubble is a number from one to seven. The numbers of bubbles are not repeated. In some places where the bubbles touch, their amount is indicated. Determine which number belongs to each bubble, including the central one.
Correct answer:
![](https://i0.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-07.jpg)
Crosshair
![](https://i2.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-08.jpg)
None of the squares shown are level. Only one square differs in size from the others. Try to find it.
Correct answer:
![](https://i1.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-09.jpg)
Family ties
Olya received a message from an unfamiliar number and asked in response: “Who is this?” After that, she received a strange description: “I am one of your relatives. Your mother’s mother is my father’s mother-in-law.” This message puzzled Sveta. Help her identify the author of the message.
Correct answer: sister or cousin.
More or less
![](https://i0.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-10.jpg)
Place all the hexagons from the top list into a pyramid so that above each two numbers there is a number either greater than their sum or less than their difference. For example, if the numbers 20 and 50 are next to each other, then the top number must be either more than 70 or less than 30. Flipping hexagons is prohibited.
Correct answer:
![](https://i0.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-10.jpg)
Coffee addiction
Katya and Fedor are convinced that they need to drink one cup of coffee every three hours to feel alert. They both get up at eight in the morning and immediately drink a cup of coffee. Then both Katya and Fedor drink one cup of coffee every three hours until they go to bed. Given a few facts, find out who's spending more money for coffee?
- From Sunday to Thursday, Katya goes to bed at 10 pm, and on Friday and Saturday she does not sleep until midnight. Fedor goes to bed every day at 10 pm.
- Katya pays 180 rubles for one cup, and Fedor prefers organic coffee and pays 240 rubles per cup.
![](https://i2.wp.com/factroom.ru/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/10-golovolomok-kotorye-pomogut-vam-prokachat-mozg-12.jpg)
Correct answer:
Fedor. He spends 8,400 rubles, and Katya spends 6,660 rubles a week.