If you’re a parent or teacher searching for fun and easy ways to make learning more exciting, these Math Riddles for First Graders are exactly what you need.
And honestly, I know how challenging it can be to keep little learners focused, which is why you’re here—looking for something playful, simple, and effective.
Think of this as our little chat, face to face, where I hand you riddles that turn math practice into a joyful game.
These riddles are designed especially for first graders, helping them think creatively, build confidence, and enjoy every moment of learning.
Let’s dive in!
Simple Addition Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ I had 2 apples and got 2 more. How many apples do I have now?
Answer: 4 - ❓ What number do you get when you add 1 + 1?
Answer: 2 - ❓ If you have 3 balloons and get 3 more, how many balloons?
Answer: 6 - ❓ Add 5 + 0. What’s the answer?
Answer: 5 - ❓ I had 4 candies. My friend gave me 1 more. How many now?
Answer: 5 - ❓ What is 6 + 1?
Answer: 7 - ❓ If I see 2 birds and 2 more join, how many birds?
Answer: 4 - ❓ What is 3 + 3?
Answer: 6 - ❓ If you have 1 cookie and I give you 2 more, total?
Answer: 3 - ❓ What does 7 + 1 equal?
Answer: 8 - ❓ Add 2 + 5.
Answer: 7 - ❓ There are 4 flowers and you add 4 more. How many?
Answer: 8 - ❓ What happens when you add 0 + 9?
Answer: 9 - ❓ If you have 3 blocks and get 2 more, how many?
Answer: 5 - ❓ What is 1 + 5?
Answer: 6
Simple Subtraction Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ You have 5 bananas. You eat 1. How many left?
Answer: 4 - ❓ If you have 4 balloons and 1 pops, what’s left?
Answer: 3 - ❓ What is 6 – 2?
Answer: 4 - ❓ I had 3 cookies. I gave away 1. How many left?
Answer: 2 - ❓ 7 birds sat on a tree. 2 flew away. How many stayed?
Answer: 5 - ❓ What is 8 – 3?
Answer: 5 - ❓ You have 9 crayons. You lost 1. How many left?
Answer: 8 - ❓ If I had 6 candies and ate 2, how many remain?
Answer: 4 - ❓ What is 5 – 5?
Answer: 0 - ❓ I had 4 toys. I gave 2 to my brother. How many?
Answer: 2 - ❓ 3 apples were on the table; I took 1. How many left?
Answer: 2 - ❓ What is 10 – 1?
Answer: 9 - ❓ If you have 7 stickers and use 1, stickers left?
Answer: 6 - ❓ What is 9 – 4?
Answer: 5 - ❓ I had 8 marbles and lost 3. How many left?
Answer: 5
Counting Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ What number comes after 5?
Answer: 6 - ❓ What number comes before 9?
Answer: 8 - ❓ Count by 2s: What comes after 2?
Answer: 4 - ❓ If you count 1, 2, 3, what comes next?
Answer: 4 - ❓ What comes after 10?
Answer: 11 - ❓ What number comes before 7?
Answer: 6 - ❓ What is the next number after 14?
Answer: 15 - ❓ Count by 5s: 5, 10, what’s next?
Answer: 15 - ❓ What comes before 3?
Answer: 2 - ❓ What comes after 0?
Answer: 1 - ❓ What number comes after 8?
Answer: 9 - ❓ What comes before 12?
Answer: 11 - ❓ What’s the next number: 18, 19, __ ?
Answer: 20 - ❓ Count backward: 5, 4, 3… what’s next?
Answer: 2 - ❓ What comes after 13?
Answer: 14
Shape Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ I have 3 sides. What shape am I?
Answer: Triangle - ❓ I’m round and have no corners. What am I?
Answer: Circle - ❓ I have 4 equal sides. What shape is that?
Answer: Square - ❓ Which shape looks like a slice of pizza?
Answer: Triangle - ❓ What shape has 4 sides but not all equal?
Answer: Rectangle - ❓ Which shape rolls easily?
Answer: Circle - ❓ I look like a box top. What shape am I?
Answer: Rectangle - ❓ I have no corners and no straight lines. Who am I?
Answer: Circle - ❓ What shape is like a windowpane?
Answer: Square or Rectangle - ❓ Which shape is shaped like a ball?
Answer: Sphere - ❓ Which shape is like a slice of cheese?
Answer: Triangle - ❓ Which shape looks like a wheel?
Answer: Circle - ❓ What shape has 4 corners?
Answer: Square or Rectangle - ❓ What shape is a stop sign?
Answer: Octagon - ❓ What shape is a pizza (whole)?
Answer: Circle
Number Logic Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ I’m a number bigger than 5 but smaller than 7. Who am I?
Answer: 6 - ❓ I’m the smallest number. What am I?
Answer: 0 - ❓ I come after 2 and before 4. What am I?
Answer: 3 - ❓ I’m the number of days in a weekend.
Answer: 2 - ❓ I’m the number of sides a triangle has.
Answer: 3 - ❓ I’m 10 minus 1.
Answer: 9 - ❓ I’m a pair of twins: 2 + 2.
Answer: 4 - ❓ I’m 5 plus 1.
Answer: 6 - ❓ I’m the number of wheels a tricycle has.
Answer: 3 - ❓ I’m between 8 and 10.
Answer: 9 - ❓ I’m 4 but I’m also 2 + 2.
Answer: 4 - ❓ I’m the number of eyes most people have.
Answer: 2 - ❓ I’m less than 2 but more than 0.
Answer: 1 - ❓ I’m the number of months in a year that start with “J.”
Answer: 3 - ❓ I’m the number of fingers on one hand.
Answer: 5
Classroom Object Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ I help you write and I’m counted by “1, 2, 3.” What am I?
Answer: Pencils - ❓ I have numbers on me and tell time.
Answer: Clock - ❓ I erase mistakes.
Answer: Eraser - ❓ You count pages in me.
Answer: Notebook - ❓ I measure length.
Answer: Ruler - ❓ I hold your crayons.
Answer: Pencil box - ❓ I stick papers together.
Answer: Glue - ❓ You count 6 chairs in a group. What are they?
Answer: Chairs - ❓ I show fractions when broken into pieces.
Answer: Chalk - ❓ You count me in pairs (left and right).
Answer: Shoes - ❓ I hold numbers for time—minutes and seconds.
Answer: Timer - ❓ You count me when taking attendance.
Answer: Students - ❓ I have pages that you can count and read.
Answer: Book - ❓ I ring to start school.
Answer: Bell - ❓ I hold your lunch in a countable space.
Answer: Lunchbox
Animal Themed Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ A cow has 4 legs. How many legs do 2 cows have?
Answer: 8 - ❓ A bird has 2 wings. How many wings do 3 birds have?
Answer: 6 - ❓ A dog has 1 tail. How many tails do 5 dogs have?
Answer: 5 - ❓ A spider has 8 legs. How many legs do 1 spider have?
Answer: 8 - ❓ Two cats have how many ears?
Answer: 4 - ❓ A fish has how many fins?
Answer: Usually 2 main fins - ❓ How many legs do 4 frogs have?
Answer: 16 - ❓ One rabbit has 2 ears. How many ears do 3 rabbits have?
Answer: 6 - ❓ A hen lays 4 eggs. If she lays 1 more, total?
Answer: 5 - ❓ Two ducks swim away. One comes back. How many ducks?
Answer: 1 - ❓ A monkey holds 3 bananas and drops 1. How many left?
Answer: 2 - ❓ A turtle has how many legs?
Answer: 4 - ❓ A bee has 6 legs. How many do 2 bees have?
Answer: 12 - ❓ 1 lion roars, then another joins. How many lions?
Answer: 2 - ❓ A horse eats 2 apples. If it eats 1 more, total?
Answer: 3
Fun Daily Life Math Riddles for First Graders
- ❓ You have 2 cookies. Mom gives you 1 more. How many?
Answer: 3 - ❓ There are 5 cups. You wash 2. How many not washed?
Answer: 3 - ❓ You saw 3 cars. Then 3 more came. Total?
Answer: 6 - ❓ You have 10 fingers. You hold up 4. How many down?
Answer: 6 - ❓ You bought 1 toy and found another. Total toys?
Answer: 2 - ❓ You have 5 candies but eat 2. How many left?
Answer: 3 - ❓ 2 friends join you for a game. Total players?
Answer: 3 - ❓ You drink 1 glass of milk in morning and 1 at night. Total?
Answer: 2 - ❓ You see 7 stars and clouds cover 3. Visible now?
Answer: 4 - ❓ You take 3 steps forward and 1 back. Where are you?
Answer: 2 steps forward - ❓ You have 6 crayons; 1 breaks. How many unbroken?
Answer: 5 - ❓ You see 4 birds and 1 flies away. How many?
Answer: 3 - ❓ You take 2 pencils from a box of 8. How many?
Answer: 6 - ❓ You have 1 cupcake but get 2 more. Total?
Answer: 3 - ❓ You pick 5 berries and eat 1. How many left?
Answer: 4
Conclusion
Math becomes magical when it feels like play—and these math riddles for first graders do exactly that.
They’re simple, joyful, and full of learning hidden inside fun questions.
If you’re using them at school, at home, or during tutoring sessions, these riddles help children develop confidence, logical thinking, and a strong foundation in early math.
Keep using riddles to make learning feel like an adventure!
The creator behind Riddlezilla.com specializes in crafting fun, smart, and engaging riddles for readers who love a good brain challenge. Dedicated to delivering fresh and creative puzzle content every day.
