Jumbo Jokes and Riddles Book Read online

  Amazing Mazes

  Here’s a fun trick to try while solving a maze puzzle. Take the paper with the maze and place it horizontally over a hard surface next to a vertical mirror. Now, can you get through the maze by looking at the mirror? Remember: You can’t look at the maze itself—just at its reflection in the mirror.

  Watch Out!

  The letters in each column go in the squares directly below them, but not in the same order. Black squares are the spaces between words. When you have correctly filled in the grid, you will have a silly conversation between a worried mom and her daughter!

  There are 11 children in Mary’s family. If there are 3 more girls than boys, how many boys and girls are there?

  How long will it take for the Tillman Triplets to eat 3 ice cream cones, if it takes the Thompson Twins 10 minutes to eat 2?

  Why did the mother dollar take so many pictures of her “new” dollar?

  She knew someday soon he would “change.”

  What do mother boots have?

  Baby booties.

  Who can go the longer distance, your mom or your dad?

  Your “farther.”

  How long did it take the drills to have their baby?

  Just a little “bit.”

  Why did Mr. and Mrs. Trampoline take their son to see the doctor?

  He seemed a little “jumpy.”

  Fun fact

  A Running Maze

  Human-sized mazes are known as labyrinths. In the old tales, people were challenged to pass through a labyrinth, and those who got lost starved to death or were attacked by a monster known as the Minotaur. Today, scientists use miniature labyrinths to experiment with mice and learn about their behavior.

  It’s Norma’s twelfth birthday. This year, her family gave her a boom box. If every year before were the same, how many does she have?

  When Toby’s family entered the Yummyville eating contest, Toby was amazed when his little brother won the prize for swallowing over 1,000 items in 2 minutes. Do you know how he did it?

  Hidden Family

  Can you find the family member who is hiding in each one of these sentences?

  1. We had fun cleaning the garage!

  2. The leprechaun told me where to find a pot of gold!

  3. The music was so raucous, I needead to cover my ears!

  4. Under the sofa there are many dustballs.

  5. Did you read the same memo the rest of us read?

  6. During a crisis, terrific people often show up to help!

  7. The chicken broth erased the last symptoms of Brian's cold.

  8. My friend in L.A. was happy to have me visit her!

  Why did the watch go visit its parents?

  It wanted to have some family “time.”

  What do you get when you hook a bunch of yarn together?

  A close “knit” family.

  What does a wrestler say when he can’t say “aunt”?

  Uncle.

  What do you call baby jellybeans?

  Sweet.

  What’s the difference between a brother and a bother?

  An “r.”

  What is your father if you take his favorite chair?

  A mad dad.

  What is the Trampoline family’s favorite time of year for vacation?

  The spring.

  If Lisa’s family has 1 child every 2 years and Lisa, who’s the oldest, is now 11, how many children are in her family now?

  Karl and Kate were both in the kitchen at 1:30 for a snack, yet neither one saw the other. How can this be?

  Someone in the Steinbeck family plays an instrument. Can you guess which instrument? Here’s a clue: “I have no locks, but 88 keys.”

  Try This

  Optical Illusions

  When your brain and eyes work together, sometimes they can play tricks on you. Some of these tricks are known as optical illusions. To try one optical illusion test, take 2 empty paper towel tubes and hold the end of each one up to your eyes. Keeping them straight, look through the tubes. Now, while you are still looking through them, move the ends that are farthest from your eyes together until they touch. What do you see?

  Who am I?

  It may “shock” you to know what I discovered—and some say I had an “electric” personality. To this day, I’m sometimes called one of the Founding Fathers, and my portrait appears on one of those green bills you use to pay for things.

  Who am I?

  Jack has a lot of dishes to do. He has enough dishes to fill 4 sinks, and it takes him 10 minutes to wash one sinkful, 5 minutes to rinse it, and 5 minutes to dry. How much time would it save him if he waited and rinsed all the dishes at the end (10 minutes total), and let them all air dry?

  When Marty’s dad asked him if he had been taking out the trash like he was supposed to, he answered, “Yes, I look at the moon every night I go out.” Of course his father knew this was a lie. Why?

  When the Smith family decided to move, everyone pitched in, including Sybil and her sister. If the girls can carry 2 large objects or 6 small ones each time, how many trips will it take to move 10 large objects and 16 small ones?

  If it takes 12 minutes for the Gowen family to wait for a ride on the roller coaster, and 5 minutes for everyone to get off it, how many minutes are spent screaming?

  Words to Know

  genius:

  Someone who is considered to be extremely intelligent. Most people believe that geniuses are born that way and that a person can’t just be taught to become a genius.

  Write your own jokes here:

  Chapter 20

  Back in Time

  Where do all the knights go to get into shape?

  A knight club.

  How could young George Washington have changed history forever?

  By burying the hatchet.

  What was King George’s favorite tool?

  A ruler.

  What do you have if you mix a commander of a ship with a fishing lure?

  Captain Hook.

  What happened when Independence Hall told the Liberty Bell a joke?

  It cracked up.

  How can you tell when a cowboy is really upset?

  He’s at the end of his rope!

  Who am I?

  About 200 years ago, when I was known as John Chapman, I had a dream of helping to feed the hungry by planting apple trees everywhere. Some people made fun of my dream and my journeys all over America.

  Who am I?

  I am always stuffed though I never eat. I couldn’t “bear” it if I had no fur. I was named after President Theodore. Do you know who I am?

  Words to Know

  hypnosis:

  A sleep-like state brought on by a hypnotist, who can direct a hypnotized person to do different things through the power of suggestion.

  When the captain climbed aboard the ship, he kept hearing dot, dot, dot, dash, dash, dash, dot, dot, dot. Why?

  ILCU4TB47. How might history have been changed if this secret message had not been delivered before the Boston Tea Party?

  One day George Washington decided to chop down a cherry tree. After 6 swings of his Saxe, he managed to chop 3 inches into the tree. If the tree is 20 inches thick and he only has the energy for 36 more swings, will George be able to cut all the way through?

  When the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, somehow they knew what time it was. (Hint: They knew how to use a sundial.)

  Lost Letters

  Abe Lincoln was known for wearing a tall black hat. Use this “stovepipe” hat decoder to answer the following riddle:

  What was little Ben Franklin’s kite-flying experience like?

  Shocking!

  What did Lewis and Clark say when they reached the Mississippi?

  “We’ll cross that bridge when they build it.”

  Where do “crazy” cowboys go?

  To the “Wild” West.

  What kind of coat has no legs?

  A coat of arms.

  What would Alexander Grah
am Bell do when he couldn’t tell a person something?

  He would “tell a phone.”

  What does Robin Hood put on all of his presents?

  Bows and arrows.

  Words to Know

  thinking:

  The process by which the brain creates ideas and makes decisions. When you are thinking of an answer to a math problem, your brain is processing the information that you have stored in your memory to find the solution.

  What’s black and white and read all over?

  What do you get if you take off 3 weeks in July?

  My love of music and a good challenge changed the world forever. As you listen to your CDs, you may find it interesting to know that I invented the first record player. I’m also famous for inventing the light bulb.

  Who am I?

  Help!

  To answer the riddle below, circle the letters that follow these rules:

  • NOT a letter that sounds like the name of a bird

  • NOT the last letter of the alphabet

  • NOT the vowel A, O, or U

  As Different as Knight and Day

  These two knights riding into battle might look the same, but see if you can find the 11 differences between them!

  Boo Hoo!

  A riddle and its answer were put into the large grid and then cut into eight pieces. See if you can figure out where each piece goes, and write the letters in their proper places. When you have filled in the grid correctly, you will be able to read the puzzle from left to right, and top to bottom. HINT: The black boxes stand for the spaces between words. Careful—some pieces are turned or flipped!

  Fun fact

  Happy Tears

  Have you ever thought about how laughing and crying are a lot alike? Not only do we laugh when we are happy, but we also laugh when something unexpected scares us. We cry for two reasons, too. Usually we cry when we are sad, but laughing hard may also bring tears to your eyes.

  “I fly high, but have no wings. I have stripes, but am no tiger. I stand strong, though I am fragile.” What is it?

  When Christopher Columbus sailed to America, he wanted to prove that the earth was not flat. How did he know he was right?

  “The Indians welcomed the Pilgrims to the new land.” What is wrong with that sentence?

  Who wrote the book I Can Open Any Lock?

  Francis Got (Scott) Key.

  What do you get if you attach a 10-foot straw to a 50-gallon vacuum?

  A really big sucker.

  What do you call the president’s home in a blizzard?

  The “white” house.

  What allows ducks to be free?

  The Bill of Rights.

  What president won the record for doing the most laundry?

  George Washing-ton.

  Why did Betsy Ross sew the flag?

  She didn’t like to knit.

  What did they call Edison’s light bulb?

  A bright idea!

  What national monument requires the most cleaning?

  Mount Brushmore!

  Which president was really generous?

  Ulysses Grant.

  Why did the Berlin Wall fall?

  It wanted to go down in history.

  What famous philosopher had lots and lots of wagons?

  Des-cart-es.

  How did Betsy Ross get George Washington to stop?

  She flagged him down.

  What three-letter ending will complete all of these words? Sail, fish, go, stay.

  “I have ears, but cannot hear, I can feed others but cannot eat. What am I?

  Try This

  Good Idea Goodies

  In cartoons, a symbol for thinking or getting an idea is a light bulb. You could make some idea or light bulb cookies by using regular sugar cookie dough and cutting it out into circles. Then add a small amount of dough to the bottom of each circle shaped like the base of a light bulb. After your cookies are baked and cooled, you can frost the circle part yellow. Then you can wait to see how long it takes for someone to come up with the idea to eat them!

  Who am I?

  Most people know me as the villain who likes to try to stump Batman and his friends with my tricky questions. My name is part of the challenge

  Who am I?

  How many stripes have been added to our flag over the years?

  How can Abraham Lincoln be in many places at the same time?

  History can make two words. What are they?

  “We all are one, but we are three. We go ashore, but out to sea.” What are we?

  Why did the pirates walk the plank?

  They were “board.”

  What do the pirates do when they get hungry?

  They have the Captain Cook.

  What president liked to dance?

  James Polk-a.

  When the soldiers asked the commanding officer, “Do we usually win?” how did he answer?

  General Lee (generally).

  Which president probably made his own suits?

  Zachary Taylor.

  What famous woman took the most baths?

  Harriet Tubman.

  Fun fact

  Secret Codes and Ciphers

  Like riddles and brain teasers, codes and ciphers challenge us to think in order to find the right answer. Often, codes are used as a way of sharing information or secrets between two people. All codes come with a “key” or guide to help solve them.

  Fun fact

  A Variety of Fun

  Humor comes in many forms. Some people find humor in a funny or witty answer, while others like to laugh at silly stunts. Imitation is also another way to make someone laugh.

  This Try

  Multiple-Tasking

  Maybe you have heard of the term “multitasking.” Multitasking means doing more than one thing at a time. Here’s a challenge for you. Can you tap your foot while you bounce a tennis ball and chew gum? (Bet it’s not as easy as you thought.) Can you think of any other multitasking trick to try out?

  Why didn’t the chariots ever stop?

  They were always roamin’ (Roman).

  What do you call a rich retriever?

  A Golden Spike.

  What do you get when you cross a bison with a dollar?

  A Buffalo Bill.

  How do you call your pet cat and bird in North Carolina?

  Here Kitty, Kitty Hawk!

  What president had holes in his ears?

  Franklin Pierce.

  What did they hang on Main Street when the soldiers returned from the war?

  A star-spangled banner.

  What pilot loved to fly the most?

  Amelia “Air-Heart.”

  Chapter 21

  A Hodgepodge of Fun

  Words to Know

  jest:

  To say or do To say or do something in a funny way. In the days of old, jesters were kind of like personal comedians who entertained the king with silly stories and juggling tricks.

  What becomes darker as it becomes lighter?

  How can you fit a large group of people into a very small space?

  What has two legs but cannot walk, and has a seat but cannot sit?

  What astronaut did the most weightlifting?

  Neil Arm-strong.

  What is the gate’s favorite sport?

  Fencing.

  How did the golfer get his clothes pressed?

  He used his “9 iron.”

  Why was the baby aspirin always getting into trouble with his mother?

  Because he was such a little “pill.”

  Why did the football join in the game?

  He got a “kick” out of it.

  This Try

  Guess Again

  To play this guessing game, you will need a friend who can hide a picture under several sets of matching cards. Then you guess which two cards go together, like a 10 of hearts and a 10 of diamonds. As you find the ones that match, you should be able to guess what the picture underneath is.

  Fun fact<
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  Before Mother Goose

  Although nursery rhymes are often read to children today, once they were intended more for adults. They carried secret coded riddles and messages that were meant to be understood only by certain people.

  When can one million become nothing?

  When Joe the mechanic had fixed what he thought was entirely everything that was wrong with Mrs. Low’s car, he walked around the other side only to see he had missed one other problem. Can you figure out the four-letter car part that he had missed? Hint: Look at the italicized word.

  What makes less noise as its mouth gets wider?

  What could be worse than finding that someone stole your last piece of gum?

  Stepping in it.

  What do you call a really bad scarf?

  A bad-danna (bandanna).

  Why did the clock have to be fixed?

  Because it went cuckoo-coo.

  What kind of money can you find at the beach?

  Sand dollars.