Lateral Thinking Puzzles
Elementary
GOAL
The Man in the Elevator

For a start, here’s one of the oldest and
best-known lateral thinking problems. It
goes like this:
The Man in the Elevator

A man lives on the tenth floor of a
building. Every day, he takes the
elevator to the first floor to go to work.
When he returns, he always takes the
elevator to the seventh floor and then
walks the remaining flights of stairs to
his apartment on the tenth floor. Why
does he do this?
The Man in the Elevator
Generate some ideas.
The Man in the Elevator



Ask yourself:
Is there anything he does between
the seventh and tenth floors other
than climb the stairs?
No
If he had someone else with him,
would they both get out at the 7th
floor and walk up to the tenth?
No
The Man in the Elevator
If he lived on the sixth floor, would he
go up to the sixth floor in the elevator?
Yes
 If he lived in a different block of
apartments in a different country but
still on the 10th floor, would he still get
out on the 7th floor when going up?
Most probably yes.

The Man in the Elevator

So why does he get off the elevator on
the seventh floor and walk up to the
tenth floor?

The man is a dwarf. He can reach the
button in the elevator for the first floor,
but he cannot reach the button for the
tenth floor. The seventh floor button is
the highest he can reach.
1. The Coal, Carrot, and
Scarf

Five pieces of coal, a carrot, and a scarf
are lying on the lawn. Nobody put them
on the lawn, but there is a perfectly
logical reason for their being there.
What is it?
1. The Coal, Carrot, and
Scarf
Ask:
 Does the time of year matter?
Yes
 Were the objects brought out to the
yard by human beings?
Yes
 Were they used for some entertainment
purpose?
Yes

1. The Coal, Carrot, and
Scarf

So why were they there?

They were used by children who made
a snowman. The snow has now melted.
2. The Two Americans

There were two Americans waiting at
the entrance to the British Museum.
One of them was the father of the other
one’s son.

How could this be?
2. The Two Americans

This one is based on a familiar theme.
You either get it quickly or not at all. It
does not lend itself to a long line of
intelligent questioning. It boils down to
the simple question – how can two
people have the same son?

They were husband and wife
3. The Men in the Hotel

Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones are two
businessmen who book into the same
hotel for the night. They are given
adjacent rooms on the third floor.
During the night, Mr. Smith sleeps
soundly. However, despite being very
tired, Mr. Jones cannot fall asleep. He
eventually phones Mr. Smith and falls
asleep immediately after hanging up.
Why should this be so?
3. The Men in the Hotel
Was there something happening in Mr.
Smith’s room that was preventing Mr.
Jones from sleeping?
 Yes
 Was it a noise?
 Yes
 Did they speak for long on the phone?
 No

3. The Men in the Hotel

Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones are two
businessmen who book into the same
hotel for the night. They are given
adjacent rooms on the third floor.
During the night, Mr. Smith sleeps
soundly. However,
despite
being
Mr. Jones could
not sleep
becausevery
Mr.
tired, Mr. Jones
cannot
asleep.
He
Smith was
snoring.fall
His phone
call awoke
Smith and
himand
from snoring
eventually Mr.
phones
Mr.stopped
Smith
falls
long enough for
Mr. Jones
to get toup.
sleep.
asleep immediately
after
hanging
Why should this be so?
4. Happy or Sad

Three women dressed in swimsuits
were standing together. Two were sad
and one was happy. But the sad women
were both smiling and the happy one
was crying. Why should that be so?
4. Happy or Sad








Were they on the beach or at a swimming
pool?
No
Is it relevant that they were wearing
swimsuits?
Yes
Was the happy one crying because she was
happy?
Yes
Were the sad ones smiling because they were
sad?
No
4. Happy or Sad

It was the final of the Miss World
Beauty Contest. The winner always
cries. The disappointed runners-up
smile because everyone is watching
them and they are expected to look
happy and radiant.
5. A Peculiar House

Mrs. Jones wanted a new house. She
very much liked to see the sun shining
into a room, so she instructed the
builders to construct a house of which
all four walls face south. After much
thought, the builder managed to erect
just such a house. How did he do it?
5. A Peculiar House

This house had only four walls and they
all faced south. Think about where it
might be located.
S
S
S
S
5. A Peculiar House
Mrs. Jones wanted a new house. She
very much liked to see the sun shining
into a room, so she instructed the
builders to construct a house of which
all four walls face south. After much
thought, the builder managed to erect
just such a house. How did he do it?
 The builder built the house at
the North Pole.

Lateral Thinking Puzzles
and
Brain Teasers
GOAL
Mr. Comm
6. The Painted Tower



A painter was hired to repaint the Eatonville
water tower which was located just off a very
busy street in the centre of the town.
Everyday for two weeks the man painted
diligently but he was never seen working by
anyone and nobody noticed any change in
the tower. When he had finished he was
congratulated for doing such a splendid job
and paid by the Eatonville Town Clerk.
Why?
6. The Painted Tower
Did he actually paint the tower?
 Yes
 Is there some way that the painter
could do the job and not be seen?
 Yes
 Did the shape of the water tower affect
the view of the painter working?
 No

6. The Painted Tower

Answer

The painter had painted the inside of
the water tower, as he had been
employed to do...
7. The Delivery


A farmer in Somerset owns a beautiful pear
tree, from which he supplies the fruit to a
nearby grocery store.
The store owner has called the farmer to see
how much fruit is available for him to
purchase. The farmer knows that the main
trunk has 24 branches. Each branch has
exactly 12 boughs and each bough has
exactly 6 twigs. Since each twig bears one
piece of fruit, how many plums will the
farmer be able to deliver?
7. The Delivery

Answer

None - the farmer owns a Pear tree, not
a Plum tree...
8. 15 Cents

Can 15 cents be made from 2 coins if one
coin is not a dime?

Hint:
What can the other coin be?

Answer:
Yes, a nickel and a dime, the question only
says that one coin can't be a dime.
9. A Chess Piece

Two grandmasters played five games of
chess. Each won the same number of
games and lost the same number of
games. There were no draws in any of
the games. How could this be so?
9. A Chess Piece





This is the kind of problem that depends on
the reader or the listener making the wrong
assumptions. Test all the assumptions with
questions like the following:
Q: Were they playing normal chess?
A: yes
Q: In chess, if one player wins then the other
loses?
Yes, always.
9. A Chess Piece
Q: So when one of the grandmasters
won a game, the other grandmaster
lost it?
 No.
 Q: Was there anybody else involved?
 Yes.


Let’s see it one more time.
9. A Chess Piece

Two grandmasters played five games of
chess. Each won the same number of
games and lost the same number of
games. There were no draws in any of
the games. How could this be so?

Answer: Who said they were playing
each other?
10. The Unseen Walker

On a busy Friday afternoon, a man walked
several miles across London from
Westminister to Knightsbridge without seeing
anybody or being seen by anybody. The day
was clear and bright. He had perfect eyesight
and he looked where he was going. He did
not travel by any method of transport other
than by foot. London was thronged with
people yet not one of them saw him. How?
10. The Unseen Walker
Q: If he walked into this room now,
would we see him and he see us?
 A: Yes
 Q: Did he wear anything special?
 A: Yes. Clue: It was a miner’s helmet.
 Q: Did he walk along normal roads?
 A: No

10. The Unseen Walker

On a busy Friday afternoon, a man walked
several miles across London from
Westminister to Knightsbridge without seeing
anybody or being seen by anybody. The day
was clear and bright. He had perfect eyesight
and he looked where he was going. He did
not travel by any method of transport other
than by foot. London was thronged with
people yet not one of them saw him. How?

He walked through the sewers.
11. A Riddle

For a little light relief, we will now have
an old riddle. What is it that gets wetter
as it dries?
No clues for this one.

The answer is a towel
12. Five Men

Five men were proceeding together
down a country path. It began to rain.
Four of the men quickened their step
and began to walk faster. The fifth man
made no effort to move any faster.
However, he remained dry and the
other four got wet. They all arrived at
their destination together. How could
this be so?
12. Five Men

Clue: They all relied only on foot power.
Did the man who stayed dry carry any
kind of umbrella or covering?
 Answer: No
 Did he walk?
 Answer: No

12. Five Men

Five men were proceeding together
down a country path. It began to rain.
Four of the men quickened their step
and began to walk faster. The fifth man
made no effort to move any faster.
However, he remained dry and the
other four got wet. They all arrived at
their destination together. How could
this be so? (Click once for answer)
12. Five Men

The four men were carrying the fifth
man, who was in his coffin.
13. Another Riddle

What is it that the man who makes it
does not need; the man who buys it
does not use himself, and the person
who uses it does so without knowing?

Clue: It might also be said that nobody
wants it, but everybody needs it.

(Click once for answer)
13. Another Riddle

What is it that the man who makes it
does not need; the man who buys it
does not use himself, and the person
who uses it does so without knowing?

The answer is a coffin.
14. The Disappearing
Pickles

Peter Piper the pickle salesman went to
market and sold half of his pickles plus
half a pickle. He was left with one
whole pickle. How many pickles did
Peter Piper start with?
(Click Once for Solution)

Three. If he sold half of his pickles that
would leave him with one and a half.
Then selling a half, he has one pickle
left.
15. Pied Piper Wanted

How many rats are in the room if there
is a rat in each of the 4 corners and 3
rats across from every rat and a rat in
the corner next to every rat?

4 rats: There are only 4 corners to the
room.
16. Dog Dayz

What is the next letter in the series?
D N O S A J __
(Click once for answer)
J (June – the letters are the first letters
of the month of the year in reverse
order.)
17. Just Kidding

“Let’s go play with the 3 kids up on that
hill,” said Silly Sally. Joe ran ahead but
only found 2 children and some grazing
farm animals when he arrived. Where
did the third kid go?
(Click once for a clue)

Clue. Does a “kid” have to be a person?
(Click for answer)
17. Just Kidding

“Let’s go play with the 3 kids up on that
hill,” said Silly Sally. Joe ran ahead but
only found 2 children and some grazing
farm animals when he arrived. Where
did the third kid go?

The third kid was a baby goat.
18. Happy Family

Homer’s mother has four children.
Three of them are named Spring,
Summer and Autumn. What is the
fourth named?
(Click for answer)

Homer (Of course!)
19. Wide Load

Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a
parking garage, but got caught
underneath the garage ceiling because
of the truck’s 6’6” height. It won’t
budge forward or backward. How can
he get the truck out from under the
garage ceiling?
(Click once for a clue)
19. Wide Load

Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a
parking garage, but got caught underneath
the garage ceiling because of the truck’s 6’6”
height. It won’t budge forward or backward.
How can he get the truck out from under the
garage ceiling?

Clue: Is there anything they could do to
shorten the truck’s overall height?
(Click for answer)
19. Wide Load


Mr. Stone’s truck attempted to enter a
parking garage, but got caught underneath
the garage ceiling because of the truck’s 6’6”
height. It won’t budge forward or backward.
How can he get the truck out from under the
garage ceiling?
Answer: Let the air out of the tires (The truck
will lower and be able to drive forward.)
20. Life Lesson

What is it that you need to have life,
f
you won’t have with death, and you
can’t start fun
f without?
(Click twice for clues)

Answer: The letter “f.”
21. Sizzler
I sizzle like bacon.
I’m made with an egg.
I’ve got lots of backbone,
but not even one leg.
I peel like an onion,
yet still remain whole.
I’m long like a fishpole,
but fit in a hole. (Click for answer)
21. Sizzler
I sizzle like bacon.
I’m made with an egg.
I’ve got lots of backbone,
but not even one leg.
I peel like an onion,
yet still remain whole.
I’m long like a fishpole,
but fit in a hole.
22. Exciting!
I start with the letter E.
I end with the letter E.
I usually contain one letter.
But I am not the letter E.
(Click for answer)
22. Exciting!
I start with the letter E.
I end with the letter E.
I usually contain one letter.
But I am not the letter E.
I am an
envelope
23. I’m Never Blue
Sometimes I’m green,
sometimes I’m black.
When I’m yellow,
I’m a very nice fellow.
That’s when I’m feeling
mighty a-peeling.
What am I?
(Click for answer)
23. I’m Never Blue
Sometimes I’m green,
sometimes I’m black.
When I’m yellow,
I’m a very nice fellow.
That’s when I’m feeling
mighty a-peeling.
What am I?
24. Out of Touch
Hey, What’s up?
They Don’t touch when you say “TOUCH.”
-- but they do touch when you say
“SEPARATE.”

What are they?
(Click for answer)
24. Out of Touch
Hey, What’s up?
They Don’t touch when you say “TOUCH.”
-- but they do touch when you say
“SEPARATE.”

What are they?
Your lips
25. E-X-T-R-A Credit

What two European cities would you
visit to find Ed and Sara?
Ed
Sara
Scotland
Bosnia and Herzegovina
25. E-X-T-R-A Credit

What two European cities would you
visit to find Ed and Sara?
26. SSSSSSS

What word becomes plural when an “s”
is added, but becomes singular again by
adding another “s”?
hint
(Click for answer)
26. SSSSSSS

What word becomes plural when an “s”
is added, but becomes singular again by
adding another “s”?
Prince
Princes
Princess
hint
27. Peanut Riddle

A peanut tree was planted on the west
side if a house. The wind is blowing
from the north. When the peanuts fall
to the ground, will they fall on the north
or south side of the tree?
(Click for answer)
27. Peanut Riddle

A peanut tree was planted on the west
side if a house. The wind is blowing
from the north. When the peanuts fall
to the ground, will they fall on the north
or south side of the tree?
Peanuts don’t grow on trees – they
grow under ground
28. Meaty Guy

At a local market, the meat manager is
5 feet 9 inches tall, wears a size 16 shirt
and size 7 shoes. What does he weigh?

Hint: You don’t have to do any math to
solve this one.
(Click once for a hint)
28. Meaty Guy

At a local market, the meat manager is
5 feet 9 inches tall, wears a size 16 shirt
and size 7 shoes. What does he weigh?

The meat manager weighs meat.
29. Door-to-Door

Going to school you count 15 houses on
the right side of the street. Going home
you count 15 on the left side. How
many houses did you count?
(Click for answer)
29. Door-to-Door

Going to school you count 15 houses on
the right side of the street. Going home
you count 15 on the left side. How
many houses did you count?

Fifteen. You count the same number of
houses because it is the same side of
the street.
30. My Hero Zero

How can the number 8 be divided into
two equal halves so that the result is
zero?
oo

There is no math involved.
(Click once for a hint)
30. My Hero Zero

How can the number 8 be divided into
two equal halves so that the result is
zero?
oo
31. Day by Day

Some months have 30 days; others
have 31. How many months have 28
days?
31. Day by Day

Some months have 30 days; others
have 31. How many months have 28
days?

All the months have 28 days.
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