Christmas riddles are short “What am I?” puzzles about Santa, snow, trees and presents, and this list has 103 original riddles with answers, from easy ones a preschooler can solve to hard logic riddles for adults and rhyming clues for a scavenger hunt.
Christmas riddles slow everyone down for a moment: a cousin squints, a grandparent grins, and a six-year-old shouts the answer before you finish reading. Every riddle on this page was written for Betteroo, each answer sits right next to its riddle, and every one was solved again before publishing.
Families celebrate the season in different ways, so these riddles stick to snow, cookies, trees, gifts and the familiar picture of Santa. Pick the group that fits your crowd, cover the answer column and start reading.
Key Takeaways
103 original Christmas riddles with answers, sorted into eight groups by type and age.
Start little kids on the easy “What am I?” group; puns tend to click around age 6 or 7.
The hard group adds logic and December calendar math for teens and adults.
12 rhyming clues make a ready-to-use Christmas scavenger hunt.
Never hide a hunt clue near the oven, fireplace, candles, heaters or stairs.
Table of Contents
Christmas Riddles at a Glance
Quick Answer
Christmas riddles work best read aloud, one at a time, with a short pause before the answer. This page has 103 original riddles with answers in eight groups: easy ones for preschoolers, funny puns, Santa and reindeer, snow and winter, tree and presents, hard logic and math riddles for adults, word riddles, and 12 rhyming clues for a Christmas scavenger hunt.
Each riddle sits in a numbered table with the answer in the right-hand column, so the page doubles as an answer key. Cover the answer column with a sheet of paper, read the riddle, and let the room guess. If nobody gets it after three guesses, give one hint, then reveal the answer.
Group
Riddles
Best for
Easy Christmas riddles for kids
15
Ages 4 to 7, read aloud
Funny Christmas riddles
12
Ages 6 and up (puns)
Santa and reindeer riddles
13
Ages 4 to 9
Snowman and winter riddles
12
Ages 5 and up
Christmas tree and present riddles
12
Ages 5 and up
Hard Christmas riddles for adults
14
Teens and adults, mixed teams
Christmas word riddles
13
Readers ages 8 and up
Scavenger hunt clues
12
Ages 5 to 10, with an adult hiding clues
How the 103 Christmas riddles on this page are grouped.
Looking for something with a quicker payoff? Our Christmas jokes for kids are built for one-line laughs, while riddles ask kids to stop and think. For riddles that work in any month, see our big list of riddles with answers.
Easy Christmas Riddles for Kids
These are “What am I?” riddles for preschoolers and early elementary kids. Each one describes a familiar holiday object with two or three clues, so a child can picture it and answer out loud. Read slowly and point to the real thing in the room if you have it: the tree, a mitten, a cookie on a plate.
Little kids often answer before you finish. That is fine. Let them guess, then read the rest of the clue and ask, “Does it still fit?”
No.
Riddle
Answer
1
I am round and shiny and I hang from a branch, but I am not an apple. What am I?
An ornament.
2
I am striped red and white and shaped like a hook. You can hang me on a tree or eat me. What am I?
A candy cane.
3
I ring when you shake me, but nobody ever calls me on the phone. What am I?
A jingle bell.
4
I sit at the very top of the tree and shine, but I have never been in the sky. What am I?
A star on top of the tree.
5
I am made of cookie, I wear an icing smile, and in an old story I run away. What am I?
A gingerbread man.
6
I have one room for your thumb and one room for all four fingers. What am I?
A mitten.
7
You pull me up the hill and I give you a fast ride back down. What am I?
A sled.
8
I am white and cold. You can roll me, pack me or catch me on your tongue. What am I?
Snow.
9
I glow on the tree in many colors, but only after someone plugs me in. What am I?
A string of Christmas lights.
10
It takes a while to put me on a box, but you can rip me off in one second. What am I?
Wrapping paper.
11
I am warm and chocolatey, and marshmallows float on top of me. What am I?
Hot cocoa.
12
I am a green circle, and I hang on the front door to say hello. What am I?
A wreath.
13
I have a white beard, a red suit and a big sack on my back. Who am I?
Santa Claus.
14
Kids leave me on a plate with a glass of milk on Christmas Eve. What am I?
Cookies for Santa.
15
I am a little house you can eat, with candy on my roof and icing on my walls. What am I?
A gingerbread house.
Group 1: easy Christmas riddles for kids ages 4 to 7.
Funny Christmas Riddles
Funny riddles hide a pun in the answer, so they land best with kids who are reading or close to it. KidsHealth notes that around age 6 or 7 children start to understand that words can have two or more meanings, and that riddles, jokes and puns begin to make sense at about that age. If a younger child does not get the joke, explain the double meaning once and move on.
A good trick: say the answer, then say the plain meaning of the pun word right after it (“torn, like ripped, and torn, like can’t decide”). Kids love being let in on how a joke works.
No.
Riddle
Answer
16
What did the wrapping paper say when it couldn’t choose which gift to cover?
“I’m torn.”
17
Why did the ornament stay on the tree all night long?
It was hooked.
18
Why did the string of lights sign up for extra lessons?
It wanted to be a little brighter.
19
Why do mittens always win at hide-and-seek?
Nobody can ever find the other one.
20
Why is a jingle bell terrible at hide-and-seek?
It gives itself away every time it moves.
21
What did the icicle say to the snowflake on the way out the door?
“Stay cool.”
22
Why is an evergreen such a loyal friend?
It never leaves.
23
What did the gift say when the scissors came near the ribbon?
“Don’t cut me off!”
24
Why was the cookie dough so excited about the holiday party?
It planned to rise to the occasion.
25
Why did the pine cone sit by itself at the party?
It was feeling a little prickly.
26
What did the gingerbread house say when its chimney fell off?
“Oh well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
27
Why did the snow shovel win the family award?
It did all the heavy lifting.
Group 2: funny Christmas riddles with a pun in the answer.
Santa and Reindeer Riddles
Santa riddles are a hit with the youngest crowd because they already know the story by heart. These stick to the familiar picture of Santa: the suit, the sack, the reindeer and the long night of deliveries. They never ask kids what they believe, so they fit any family, whatever you tell your children about Santa. If that question is coming up in your house, our guide on how to answer “Is Santa real?” can help.
No.
Riddle
Answer
28
I am written in pencil or crayon every December, and I travel all the way to the North Pole. What am I?
A letter to Santa (a wish list).
29
We tap across rooftops on four hooves and pull a heavy load through the night sky. Who are we?
Santa’s reindeer.
30
I am the farthest north you can go. Take one step in any direction from me and you are heading south. Where am I?
The North Pole.
31
I am red and fuzzy with a white pom-pom, and I keep the top of Santa’s head warm. What am I?
Santa’s hat.
32
He comes down the chimney with a full sack and goes back up with an empty one. Who is he?
Santa Claus.
33
We are small, we wear pointy shoes, and we work in a workshop all year so one night goes well. Who are we?
Santa’s elves.
34
I am made of cloth and very wide, and every toy for every house rides inside me. What am I?
Santa’s sack.
35
What has antlers and hooves and flies, but has no wings?
Santa’s reindeer, in the story.
36
I am black and shiny with a buckle in the middle, and I hold up a famous red suit. What am I?
Santa’s belt.
37
I am long and white and fluffy, and I keep Santa’s chin warm on the sleigh ride. What am I?
His beard.
38
Some kids leave me out on Christmas Eve, but I am not for a rabbit and not for Santa. Who am I for?
A carrot for the reindeer.
39
I am the night before the big day, when kids try their hardest to fall asleep. What am I?
Christmas Eve.
40
Santa’s team stands in four rows, with two reindeer in each row. How many reindeer is that?
Eight.
Group 3: Santa and reindeer riddles.
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Snow and winter riddles suit any family gathering in December or January, whatever you celebrate, and they make good car-ride riddles on the way to see relatives. Kids who live where it never snows can still solve most of them from books and movies. For more winter fun with a whole group, try our Christmas games.
No.
Riddle
Answer
41
Kids build me in the morning, I watch the yard all day, and in the spring sun I shrink until only my hat is left. What am I?
A snowman.
42
I hang from the roof and point at the ground. Every time I drip and freeze again, I get a little longer. What am I?
An icicle.
43
You can skate on me in January and swim in me in July. What am I?
A pond or a lake.
44
We go outside as a pair, stomp through slush, and wait by the front door to dry. What are we?
Snow boots.
45
I am two fuzzy circles joined by a band, and I keep the cold off the sides of your head. What am I?
Earmuffs.
46
You make me by lying on your back in the snow and sweeping your arms and legs. What am I?
A snow angel.
47
I am a round house with a doorway and walls made of snow blocks. What am I?
An igloo.
48
On a cold day you can see me come out of your mouth, but you can never catch me. What am I?
Your breath.
49
We are long and flat, we always travel as a pair, and we carry you down a mountain. What are we?
Skis.
50
I am round and cold, I am packed by hand, and I fall apart when I hit my target. What am I?
A snowball.
51
I cover the car windshield on a cold morning, and someone has to scrape me off. What am I?
Frost.
52
I wear a hat with no hair beneath it, my smile is made of pebbles, and I stand guard in the yard all winter. What am I?
A snowman.
Group 4: snowman and winter riddles.
Christmas Tree and Present Riddles
These riddles are made for decorating day. Read one each time someone hangs an ornament, or save them for the long wait before presents are opened. A few play on words with two meanings (trunk, bow, bulb), so stop and enjoy the “oh!” moment when a child spots the trick.
No.
Riddle
Answer
53
What has a bow but can’t play the violin?
A wrapped present.
54
I have a trunk but carry no luggage, and every December I move indoors. What am I?
A Christmas tree.
55
I hold the tree up straight and drink the water you pour into me. What am I?
The tree stand.
56
I am thin, silver and shiny, and I hang from the branches like sparkly rain. What am I?
Tinsel.
57
I am a tiny label tied to a ribbon, and I tell everyone who the gift is for. What am I?
A gift tag.
58
I am a skirt that nobody ever wears. What am I?
A tree skirt.
59
I am tied in loops on top of a package, but I am not a pair of shoelaces. What am I?
A ribbon bow.
60
I come on a roll and I am sticky on one side. Almost every wrapped gift needs a little piece of me. What am I?
Tape.
61
I am a bulb that never grows into a flower. What am I?
A Christmas light bulb.
62
I am a snack you thread on a string instead of eating, then drape around the tree. What am I?
A popcorn garland.
63
I am green with small white berries, and people hang me in a doorway. What am I?
Mistletoe.
64
I have shiny, spiky green leaves and bright red berries, and I am often tucked into wreaths. What am I?
Holly.
Group 5: Christmas tree and present riddles.
Hard Christmas Riddles for Adults
This group is for teens and grown-ups, or for a mixed team with a sharp ten-year-old on it. Some are logic puzzles, some are December calendar math, and a few hide the trick in plain sight. Give a pen and paper to anyone who wants one; the math riddles are easier when you can jot numbers down.
Play these as a round: one point for the right answer, half a point if a teammate finishes the reasoning. For more puzzles in this style, our brain teasers for kids include logic and number puzzles that grown-ups enjoy too.
No.
Riddle
Answer
65
Christmas Day falls on a Monday this year. What day of the week is New Year’s Day?
Monday. January 1 is exactly one week after December 25.
66
If December 1 is a Sunday, what day of the week is December 25?
Wednesday. December 22 is also a Sunday, so the 25th is three days later.
67
The day after tomorrow is Christmas Eve. What was the date the day before yesterday?
December 20. Today is December 22.
68
A girl was born on December 25, yet her birthday always comes in summer. How?
She lives in the Southern Hemisphere, where December is a summer month.
69
Mia has three brothers, and each of her brothers has exactly one sister. If every child hangs one stocking, how many stockings are there?
4. Mia is the only sister, so there are three boys and one girl.
70
An elf wraps 1 gift in the first hour, 2 in the second, 3 in the third, and so on. How many gifts are wrapped after six hours?
21 (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6).
71
A snowman has three snowballs, and each one is half as tall as the one under it. The bottom ball is 2 feet tall. How tall is the snowman?
3 and a half feet (2 + 1 + 0.5).
72
A box holds 10 candy canes. You take away 3. How many candy canes do you have?
3. You have the three you took.
73
A string of 50 lights has a red bulb in every fifth spot. The rest are white. How many white bulbs are there?
40. There are 10 red bulbs.
74
Elves pack gifts in boxes of 6. They have 45 gifts. How many boxes can they fill, and how many gifts are left over?
7 full boxes, with 3 gifts left over.
75
Three cousins hang their stockings in a row. Ava’s is not on either end. Ben’s hangs to the left of Ava’s. Where is Cora’s?
On the right end. Ava’s is in the middle and Ben’s is on the left.
76
I have hands but never wear gloves, and on New Year’s Eve everyone stares at my face. What am I?
A clock.
77
Every year you take me out of the box and hang me up. I never grow, yet I can be older than the child who hangs me. What am I?
A keepsake ornament.
78
Unwrap me and I am gone. Leave me wrapped and I stay a mystery. What am I?
A surprise.
Group 6: hard Christmas riddles, logic and math for teens and adults.
Christmas Word Riddles and Letter Riddles (No Pictures Needed)
Picture riddles usually rely on emoji or drawings that are hard to share on a page or read aloud. These word riddles do the same job with letters only: hidden words, letter swaps and anagrams. They work well written on a whiteboard, the back of a place card or a lunchbox note, and they are a nice challenge for kids who are learning to spell.
Write the key word in capital letters so everyone can see it, then let readers move the letters around in their heads or on paper.
No.
Riddle
Answer
79
Which letter appears three times in DECEMBER but not even once in SANTA?
E.
80
Change the first letter of HOLLY to make a word that means merry and cheerful.
JOLLY.
81
Rearrange the letters of SNOW to make a word that means “has.”
OWNS.
82
Drop the first letter of SLED and you get a kind of tiny light. What is it?
LED.
83
Take the first letter off a gift’s BOW and you get what you say when you stub your toe. What is it?
OW.
84
Change the first letter of COLD to make a shiny yellow metal.
GOLD.
85
Which month hides a glowing bit of the fireplace inside its name?
DECEMBER, which hides EMBER.
86
Which holiday plant hides a foggy morning in its first four letters?
MISTLETOE, which starts with MIST.
87
Which famous name hides a tiny insect inside it and is busiest on December 24?
SANTA, which hides ANT.
88
Add two letters in front of ELF to get a place where you keep books.
SHELF.
89
Rearrange the letters of SILENT, the first word of a well-known carol’s title, to spell what you should do when someone reads you a riddle.
LISTEN.
90
Rearrange the letters of CAROL to spell something that grows in warm oceans.
CORAL.
91
Rearrange the letters of ANGEL to spell the corner a box makes.
ANGLE.
Group 7: Christmas word riddles, hidden words and anagrams.
Christmas Riddles for a Scavenger Hunt
A riddle hunt turns the wait for Christmas morning, or a slow afternoon on December 26, into a game. Each rhyming clue points to a spot in the house, and at that spot the child finds the next clue. The last clue leads to a small prize, a family activity card or a note that says “Movie night starts now.”
Before you hide anything, walk the route yourself with safety in mind:
Skip hot and risky spots: never hide a clue in or on the oven, stove, toaster, fireplace or radiator, near candles or space heaters, beside outlets, at the top of stairs or on a shelf a child would climb to reach.
Fireplace check: if your stockings hang over a fireplace that is in use, tape the stocking clue somewhere else. The AAP advises keeping a tree away from fireplaces, radiators and portable heaters, and the same thinking applies to paper clues.
Small parts: if a younger sibling is around, keep tiny prizes and trimmings with small removable parts out of reach. The AAP warns that small pieces can be swallowed or inhaled, and that button batteries and magnets can cause serious internal harm if swallowed.
Clue order: number the back of each folded clue so you can lay them out in order and hand the first one to the child.
No.
Clue
Answer
92
My branches are dressed up in ribbons and light. Check under my skirt for your next clue tonight.
The Christmas tree (under the tree skirt).
93
We hang in a row, each one wearing a name. Reach into yours to keep playing the game.
The stockings.
94
I hum in the kitchen and keep the milk cold. Open my door for a clue to behold.
The refrigerator.
95
I’m a puffy glove that has never seen snow. I help with the cookie trays. Where do I go?
The oven mitt, on its hook or in its drawer, never in or on the oven.
96
I’m full of bubbles at bath time, plus a duck or two. Peek in while I’m empty and dry for your clue.
The bathtub (dry and empty).
97
I’m packed full of stories, but I never read. Pull out the red book for the clue that you need.
The bookshelf.
98
I’m the green circle that says hello at the door. Look just behind me to find one clue more.
The wreath.
99
We stand by the door as a snowy, wet pair. Reach into the left one: your clue is in there.
The boots by the door.
100
I’m a box in the pantry with breakfast inside. Give me a gentle shake: that’s where clues like to hide.
The cereal box.
101
I scrub your teeth clean after cookies at night. Look next to my cup, on the left or the right.
The toothbrush cup.
102
I’m soft and I’m comfy, you sit on me a lot. Dig under my cushions: the clue’s in that spot.
The couch.
103
I keep coats and scarves and hats in a row. Open my door: your surprise waits below.
The coat closet (the prize).
Group 8: rhyming Christmas scavenger hunt clues, with where to hide each one.
For a longer hunt, mix in a few riddles from the earlier groups and hide each one at its answer: the jingle bell riddle tied to a bell, the tape riddle in the gift-wrap drawer.
How to Use Christmas Riddles at Home
Riddles are a low-prep way to fill small pockets of December: the drive to grandma’s, the ten minutes before dinner, the wait for cookies to cool. Here are the ways families use them most, with the riddle groups that fit each one.
A riddle a day in the advent calendar: fold one riddle into each day’s pocket, with the answer written on the back. Our advent calendar ideas include easy DIY formats that hold a slip of paper.
Lunchbox notes: write one easy or funny riddle on a sticky note and the answer on a second note underneath. Kids can share it with friends at lunch.
Dinner table riddle relay: go around the table; each person reads one riddle to the person on their left. Teens get the hard group, preschoolers get the easy one.
Secret Santa gift tags: write a riddle about the gift on its tag, like the tree and present riddles above. The receiver has to guess before unwrapping.
Place cards: print a riddle on the front of each place card and the answer inside.
Elf notes: if your family does a holiday elf, have it leave a riddle in the morning for the kids to solve at breakfast. Our elf ideas have more setups.
Video calls with grandparents: let a child pick three riddles to ask, so a shy kid has something ready to say.
Match the riddle to the age. Use this as a rough guide, and let your child’s interest lead.
Age
Best groups
Tip
3 to 5
Easy (group 1), Santa and reindeer (group 3)
Read aloud and give one hint after a wrong guess. Point to the object if it’s in the room.
6 to 8
Funny (group 2), winter (group 4), tree and presents (group 5), scavenger hunt (group 8)
Puns start to click at this age. Explain any double meaning they miss.
9 to 12
Word riddles (group 7), the easier hard riddles (group 6)
Let them read the riddle to the family and hold the answer key.
Teens and adults
Hard (group 6), word riddles (group 7)
Play in teams with a scorekeeper and a time limit.
Which Christmas riddles fit which ages.
Write your own Christmas riddle. Making up riddles is as much fun as solving them, and it is a good rainy-day project. KidsHealth says that playing with language introduces new words and builds vocabulary, that repeating jokes and riddles develops memory skills, and that kids learn creative problem-solving skills by studying jokes and making up their own. A simple three-step method works for most kids:
Pick an object: choose something you can see right now: a mitten, the tree, a cookie.
List three clues: what it looks like, what it does, and one thing it is not (“I hang from a branch, but I’m not an apple”).
Add “What am I?”: read it to someone. If they guess on the first clue, make it harder; if nobody gets it, add a clue.
Older kids can try a pun riddle: pick a word with two meanings (bow, trunk, bulb, needle, present) and write a question that uses one meaning while the answer uses the other. For more thinking games, see our riddles for kids, or quiz the family with our new Christmas trivia questions.
One last tip from the KidsHealth guidance on humor: encourage and praise your child’s attempts to be funny, even the corny ones. A riddle that doesn’t quite work still counts, and the child who made it up will be proud to tell it again tomorrow.
The best Christmas riddles are short, fair and easy to read aloud. Start with the easy group for little kids, bring out the puns once they hit about age 6 or 7, and save the logic and word riddles for the grown-ups’ table. Keep the answer column covered, give a hint after a few guesses, and let kids take a turn as the riddle master.
December nights tend to run late, so play riddle games at dinner or in the car rather than at bedtime. The AAP suggests sticking to your child’s usual sleep and mealtime schedules during the holidays when you can. For a calm end to a busy day, our toddler bedtime routine guide has simple steps that hold up through the season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some good Christmas riddles?
Good Christmas riddles are short and have one clear answer. Try these: What has a bow but can’t play the violin? A wrapped present. I have a trunk but carry no luggage, and every December I move indoors. What am I? A Christmas tree. I am a bulb that never grows into a flower. A Christmas light bulb.
What are easy Christmas riddles for kids?
Easy riddles describe a familiar object with two or three clues. For example: I have one room for your thumb and one room for all four fingers. What am I? A mitten. Or: I am a green circle, and I hang on the front door to say hello. A wreath. Read slowly and let kids guess before you finish.
What are hard Christmas riddles for adults?
Hard riddles use logic or math. For example: if December 1 is a Sunday, what day is December 25? Wednesday. Or: Mia has three brothers, and each brother has exactly one sister. If every child hangs one stocking, how many stockings are there? Four, because Mia is the only sister.
How do you make a Christmas scavenger hunt with riddles?
Write one rhyming clue for each hiding spot, such as the tree, the stockings, the refrigerator or the coat closet. Hide each clue at the answer to the one before it, and put a small prize at the last stop. Keep clues away from the oven, fireplace, candles, heaters, outlets and stairs.
How do you write your own Christmas riddle?
Pick a holiday object you can see, then list three clues: what it looks like, what it does, and one thing it is not. End with What am I? and test it on someone. If they guess right away, make a clue harder. For a pun riddle, choose a word with two meanings, like bow or trunk.
Are riddles good for kids?
Riddles are a playful way to practice language. KidsHealth says that playing with words introduces new words and builds vocabulary, and that repeating jokes or riddles develops memory skills. Around age 6 or 7, children start to understand that words can have more than one meaning, which is when riddles and puns begin to make sense.
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