15 Logic Puzzles That Will Help You Stay Sharp (All Ages!)
Don't let these logic puzzles stump you—all they take is concentration and critical thinking.
Academics have established that puzzles are important tools, especially for developing young minds. But while the term is often associated with jigsaw arrangements, the true definition covers a lot more territory, from crosswords to panoramics, 3D arrangements to more sophisticated stumpers. Also on the list are logic puzzles or logical reasoning puzzles. These problems rely on deductive reasoning and can be enjoyed by individuals of different ages. Below, we put together a list of the very best the internet has to offer, broken down by level of difficulty.
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What Is a Logic Puzzle?
As mentioned, a logic puzzle is a problem that can only be solved through deductive reasoning. While these brain teasers are technically considered mathematical, not all require the kinds equations typically associated with the discipline. Many online logic puzzles can be completed in your head and without calculators, pens, or paper.
The trick here is to stay organized. These guys tend to be somewhat wordy. In order to solve logic problems, you need to be able to sort through each question, extract all important information, and eliminate the excess.
However, those who aren't quite used to flexing their brains in this kind of way might want to stick to logic grid puzzles. These equations typically provide charts to help students visually work through the equations.
A logic grid puzzle may also provide a number of clues to help them find the solution a little faster. While these tweaks may make them seem like easy puzzles, they still demand the same kind of critical thinking that applies to more difficult territory. Now, read on for a chance to solve logic puzzles at home and on your terms!
Easy Logic Puzzles for Kids
- Logic Problem: There are two monkeys in front of a monkey, two monkeys behind a monkey, and a monkey in the middle. How many monkeys are there?
Answer: Three. Two monkeys are in front of the last monkey; the first monkey has two monkeys behind it; and one monkey is between the other two. - Logic Problem: You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again, you don't see a single person on the boat. Guess why?
Answer: Think about the semantics involved: You don't see any single people on board because all the passengers are married. - Logic Problem: What is seen in the middle of March and April that can't be seen at the beginning or end of either month? Can you solve it?
Answer: Don't overthink it—the answer is staring you right in the face. It's the letter "R." - Logic Problem: Spots, tops, pots, opts… What word comes next in the sequence?
Answer: Think about what each of these words has in common—they all contain the same letters. The only option left is "stop." - Logic Problem: What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: Again, this one is literally spelled out for us. The answer is the letter "M."
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Medium Puzzles
- Logic Problem: A boy has as many sisters as brothers, but each sister has only half as many sisters as brothers. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
Answer: Four sisters and three brothers. This kind of logic game may seem confusing at first, but it's relatively easy to figure out once you start counting all the siblings in relation to the individuals involved. - Logic Problem: Serena and Venus decided to play tennis against each other. They bet one dollar on each game they played. Serena won three bets and Venus won five dollars. How many games did they play?
Answer: They played 11 games in total. Think of it this way: Venus lost three games so she had to win an additional three just to break even. Then, she had to win five more games to earn the five dollars. 3+3+5=11. - Logic Problem: Samantha, Josh, Katia, and Ben all attend the same summer camp, where they can cook, kayak, rock-climb, and zip line. Samantha's favorite activity isn't rock-climbing. Josh is afraid of heights. Katia can't do her favorite activity without a harness. Ben likes to keep his feet on the ground at all times. Can you figure out who likes what?
Answer: By process of elimination, we can establish that Samantha likes zip-lining, Josh likes kayaking, Katia likes rock-climbing, and Ben likes cooking. - Logic Problem: John is looking at Leah. Leah is looking at Anthony. John is married, Anthony is not, and we don't know if Leah is married. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person?
Answer: Yes. If Leah is married, then she is married and looking at Anthony, who is unmarried. If Leah is unmarried, then John, who is married, is looking at her. Either way, the statement holds up. - Logic Problem: The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today?
Answer: Friday. The "day before tomorrow" is today. The statement "the day before two days after" sounds confusing but is really just one day after. So if "one day after today is Saturday," then the answer must be Friday.
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Hard Puzzles
- Logic Problem: A teacher writes six words on her chalkboard: Cat, Dog, Has, Max, Dim, and Tag. She gives three students, Felix, Clara, and Kim each a piece of paper with one letter from one of the words. She then asks Felix if he knows the word his letter corresponds with. He says yes. She then asks Clara if she knows what it is. She hesitates briefly, but eventually says yes. Finally, she asks Kim the same question. She takes a moment but also replies yes. What is the word?
Answer: First, let's think about how each of the students answered. Felix knows right away, because he has one of those special letters that only appear once in the entire sequence (C, O, H, S, X, and I). So, we know the word is not "Tag." All of these special characters appear in different words, except for "H" and "S," which both appear in "Has," so Clara can use the letters that are left to figure out the answer (T, G, H, and S). This rules out "Max" and "Dim." Kim narrows it down the same way. Now, only the letter "D" is left, so the word must be "Dog." - Logic Problem: If five cats can catch five mice in five minutes, how long will it take one cat to catch one mouse?
Answer: Five minutes. Based on the information we've been given, we know it would take one cat 25 minutes to catch all five mice. If we work backward and divide 25 by five, we get five minutes for one cat to catch each mouse. - Logic Problem: You have two ropes that each take an hour to burn, but burn at inconsistent rates. How can you measure 45 minutes?
Answer: Remember, these guys burn at inconsistent rates so you can't just light the rope on fire and wait for it to burn 75 percent of the way through. What you can do is this: Light the first rope at both ends. Even if one end burns faster, it will still take 30 minutes to burn up. When you do this, be sure to light the other rope at one end only. As soon as the first rope is completely out, light the other end of the one remaining. That way, you can cut the time it will take to burn (30 minutes) in half, leaving you with just 15 minutes left. - Logic Problem: Regina, Leo, Fred, Olivia, and Emily all have birthdays on consecutive days, Monday through Friday. Regina's birthday is as many days before Emily's as Leo's is after Olivia's. Fred is two days older than Olivia. Emily's birthday is on Thursday. So, who's birthday is on each day?
Answer: Fred's birthday is on Monday, Regina's is on Tuesday, Olivia's is on Wednesday, Emily's is on Thursday, and Leo's is on Friday. - Logic Problem: It's April Fool's Day and your teenage son decides to replace the salt in three of your four salt shakers with sugar. but he also leaves messages on each. The first says, "This is Salt." The second also reads, "This is Salt." The third saltshaker says, "This is Sugar." And the fourth saltshaker says, "The Salt is Not in the Second Saltshaker." If only one of the messages is true, then which shaker actually contains salt?
Answer: The third saltshaker. If you start out assuming all statements are true, then you can easily start ruling some out. For instance, if the first saltshaker really does contain salt, then the message on the third saltshaker would be true. Since we know only one message contains the truth, we can assume both are false. The same goes for the second salt shaker, and so on.
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Wrapping Up
That's it for our list of logic puzzles. Be sure to check back with us soon for more ways to stay sharp. You can also sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss out!
