Riddle Kids
Riddle Kids
Riddle Kids
Riddle Poems to
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Build L iteracy
Short, Irresistible, Guess-Me Poems
Perfect for Shared Reading, Circle Time,
and More!
by Betsy Franco
S C H O L A S T I C
PROFESSIONALBOOKS
New York Toronto London Auckland Sydney
Mexico City New Delhi Hong Kong
Dedication
For my Uncle Sam who played
imaginary games with me
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Scholastic Inc. grants teachers permission to photocopy the content of this book for classroom use only.
No other part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to
Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
ISBN: 0-439-13121-9
Copyright 2000 by Betsy Franco
All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
99
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Instant Ideas for Using Riddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Riddles Selections
Farm Animals
Whos Down on the Farm? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Whos Being Fed? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Me
Which of the Five Senses? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Which Part of Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
How Do I Feel? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
What Makes Us Special? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Which Favorite Toy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Popular Animals
I Spy: Which Animal? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
What Kind of Bear? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
What Do You Know About Penguins? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31
Which Whale? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Community
Which Community Worker Am I? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Transportation: Which Kind? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3
Science
Whats the Weather Report? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
What Will I Wear in This Weather? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
At School
What Can You Find in the Classroom? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
What Am I Playing? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Balls: Which Sport? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Interesting Animals
Whos Hatching? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57
If You Met This Dinosaur, How Would You Greet It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
Whos in the Rain Forest? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60
4
or t o f p oe
99
t r y
Introduction ni ng?
ts i s t im ar
Wha eless, fun, and packed with le
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Take a gue
ss! R
iddle poems, of course!
Riddles are one of the oldest forms of poetry riddle? Youll observe kids supporting one
for a good reason. They make us grin! They anothers learning.
make us think!
Enliven morning meetings with easy-to-
5
solving by inviting riddle on your shirt, raise your hand!
them to visit the Choose a child whose hand is raised to state
bulletin board the riddles answer. Then invite the other
in their free time. children who are wearing that particular
Keep the riddle color to join the group. Continue the process
poems fresh and until everybody has joined the group. This
engaging with flexible format extends oral literacy and
selections from makes class management fun!
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
201 Thematic
Riddle Poems. Delight students with collaborative
riddle books. Invite each child to choose a
Encourage hands-on learning with riddle favorite riddle from 201 Thematic Riddle
poems represented on finger-friendly Poems. Give each child a piece of plain
flannel boards. Copy riddle poems and white paper on which to copy the riddle and
answers onto colorful sentence strips. Place draw a related picture. Laminate the student-
Velcro on the back and stick. Kids can created pages and three-hole-punch their
match riddle poems with riddle solutions. left edges. Then link them together with
Your students will enjoy this multi sensory brass fasteners to assemble a special class
treat. And youll hear them read with book. Celebrate poetry by inviting students
confidence. to share their favorite riddle poems with the
whole class. Then give your collaborative
Build oral literacy during transition times. book a place of honor in your classroom
Turn transition times into exciting language- library.
learning times. If youre studying colors, read
selections from Which Mystery Color? (14) Invigorate your learning centers with
and Which riddles on audiotape. Kids will love to
Stoplight Colors? hear themselves reading, and youll love hav-
(18). Use lively ing authentic assessments. Add audiotapes
color riddles to to student portfolios. Help kids hear how
motivate kids to theyve improved their reading fluency. Play
form a line, visit the tapes at parent-teacher conferences.
the library, pre- Tapes enable parents to listen to their child
pare for a field read and actually hear what their child is
trip, or just get learning in your classroom. Document stu-
ready for a snack. dent development and reinforce emerging
Say, If you are literacy with kids reading on tape. Make the
wearing the most of an essential assessment tool in your
answer to this PreK2 classroom.
6
Instant Ideas f
or Using Riddles
Refresh Thematic Units Let9s9Practice!
999
Enliven your thematic units with rhyming
riddle activities. If your theme is colors, for
If you want to add zip to your thematic unit
example, choose selections from Which
on shapes, read selections from Which Shape
Mystery Color? (14), Which Colorful Fruit or
Am I? (19). Teach your students to recognize
Veggie? (17), and Which Stoplight Color? (18)!
shapes and the words that name them.
Are poems about school more appropriate
Reinforce the concept that words denote
for you? Then share selections from What
meaning. By offering both printed words and
Can You Find in the Classroom? (53), What
paper shapes, children at different language-
Am I Playing? (55), and Balls: Which Sport?
learning levels will be able to participate with
(56). Let 201 Thematic Riddle Poems jump-
relative ease.
Make paper cutouts of basic shapes,
start your thematic unit with poems that will
delight emergent readers.
providing kids with concrete examples of
word meaning. Print the shapes names on
Which Shape am I? index cards.
Put the shapes and word cards on your
A bathroom tile,
a checkerboard game chalkboard ledge.
Ask the class, Which shape or which word
my four straight sides
are all the same! is circle ? Invite one child at a time to
Im a __________. select either a shape or a word card. After
Answer: square each childs correct choice, repeat the
word aloud and show the corresponding
7
Invite children to think of other words
shape. This is the square shape. And this
is the word square! that begin with the same sound by asking,
What first sound does this group of
Not only will this exercise reinforce childrens
words share?
Brainstorm more words that begin with
knowledge of shapes, but it will also help
them build important connections between
written and oral language. Use it at circle the same sound. Write the words students
time! What better time to study shapes? generate on chart paper, creating a word
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Let9s9Practice!
999 What Pet Do You Pick?
I swim in water all day long.
You feed me little flakes.
The same initial sound appears in messy,
If I were wild and not a pet,
mucky, muddy, mopping, and milk.
Read the poem together. Tell your stu-
Id live in streams and lakes.
Pick a pet.
dents, Say the sound your ears hear
the most. Answer: fish
8
Which words are helpful clues to solve this
Let9s9Practice!
999 riddle poem? Be sure to discuss any riddle
poems that seem especially challenging for
your students to solve.
Capture your students attention with trans-
parencies. Roll that overhead projector out
from the closet. Its an incredibly powerful
Whos Hatching?
teaching tool!
Choose a rhyming riddle from 201
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Whenever you encounter more words Write a riddle on the board from the
with the same rime, add them to the selection titled Whos Hatching? (57)
word bank! Cover the riddles answer with the paper
egg so that the children cant see it.
Read the poem aloud to your class.
Please note: Youll notice words that rhyme
are not always members of the same word
family. Then ask, Whos hatching? Lift the egg to
show the answer. Have students support
their answers with clue words from the
Enhance Critical-Thinking Skills riddle.
Playful rhymes provide a comfortable, low- Variation: Break the class into a few
stress setting for creative problem solving. mixed-level groups. Provide each group with
Invite children to use word clues to con- several poems to solve from 201 Thematic
struct an answer. By providing clue words, Riddle Poems. When each group has com-
riddles invite kids to make educated guesses. pleted the activity, meet as a whole class to
Help your students be riddle detectives! Ask, share riddles and answers.
9
Make Pocket Chart Learning
More Meaningful
Pocket charts are versatile and valuable
teaching tools. Use them to reinforce a les-
son, enliven a Read Aloud, or enhance a
Mega-Fun Technology Tips Guided Reading experience. A pocket chart
Add a high-tech dimension to learning is essentially a sturdy wall chart with places
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
with riddles. Use your classroom comput- to insert words, pictures, and sentences.
er to reinforce language arts skills and Most have ten rows of transparent plastic
introduce new ones in inspiring ways. pockets that readily provide a generic frame-
work for poetry, songs, and literature. Pocket
Improve Reading & Writing Skills charts make building literacy hands-on and
minds-on! Use them with your students to
Have students:
link text to pictures, match words that
Invite older kids to use word-processing
rhyme, and much more!
software to set some of these riddles in
type. Ask students to identify rhyming
words with boldface. Which Season?
Develop a class book of original riddles. In _______________,
Invite students to write riddles and trees are nice and bare.
then to illustrate them with drawing
and grays the color of the sky.
software.
We like to play in the snow all day.
Cultivate Listening & We like the ________, you and I.
Speaking Skills Which season?
Have students:
Answer: winter
Celebrate reading by recording some
of the 201 Thematic Riddle Poems on
audiotapes. Put them in your listening Let9s9Practice!
center, where kids can read and listen
999
to their best-loved riddles.
Create a class videotape of your Using a Pocket Chart Is as Easy
students reading their favorite riddles as 123!
aloud. Share it with parents at Riddle poems in pocket charts add pizzazz to
open house! your language arts program.
10
Enjoy the poem above year round (62).
Animals, Me, Popular Animals, Letters and
Copy its generic text onto white sentence Numbers, All Sorts of Animals, Interesting
strips. Then tuck them into the rows of Animals, Calendar and Seasons, and
your pocket chart. Science, of course. Revisit the Table of
11
story problem. Read the riddle aloud.
Ask the kids to write the problem on
paper. Ask, Which mathematical opera-
tion did you need to use? Addition?
Subtraction?
12
structure of their favorite riddles from this
book. Read aloud several excerpts from 201
Which Letter?
Thematic Riddle Poems with your students,
This letter of the alphabet including the riddle at left. Ask, What makes
is in some silly words you know, a riddle . . . a riddle? And remember, a rid-
like slurp and slug and slip and slide. dle poem does not need to rhyme to be con-
Now write some other words below! sidered a riddle. Writing in rhyme may be a
daunting task for young writers.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: Ss
surprising serious super
13
99 Which Mystery Color?
Cherries, apples, pomegranates,
ladybugs, and roses.
At circus time, the clowns all wear
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
On American flags
both old and new,
Theres red and theres white
and theres this color, too.
Name the mystery color. ________
Answer: blue
14
The color of a daffodil
thats growing in the sun,
or a bunch of eight bananas
that are ripening one by one.
Name the mystery color. ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: yellow
15
I see this color
all around
as snowflakes float
down to the ground.
Name the mystery color. ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: white
16
Which Colorful Fruit or Veggie?
99
Outside Im green.
Im pink inside,
where all my little
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
17
99
Which Stoplight Color?
Ladybug in
the flower bed
didnt cross
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Grasshopper hopping
in the beans
crossed the street
when the light turned _______.
Answer: green
18
99
Which Shape Am I?
A pizza, a clock,
a bicycle wheel
I have no sides,
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
A door, a book,
a tabletop
four corners wait
where my four sides stop.
Im a ________.
Answer: rectangle
An arrowhead,
a party hat
Ive got three sides.
Now think of that.
Im a ________.
Answer: triangle
A bathroom tile,
a checkerboard game
my four straight sides
are all the same!
Im a ________.
Answer: square
19
Whos Down on the Farm?
99
He cock-a-doodles
on the farm.
He is the farmers
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
loud alarm.
Who is he? ________
Answer: rooster
20
He barks and runs around a lot
to herd the sheep together.
He keeps the farmer company
in every kind of weather.
Who is he? ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
21
Whos Being Fed?
99
Someone on the farm today
was happy to be fed.
_______, _______, _______, _______
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
22
Me
A cricket does this with its leg. A bat can use its ears for this.
I do it with my ears. I do it with my eyes.
I do it when a siren sounds I do it when I look at a bird
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
A cat has whiskers just for this. An eel does this with its skin,
I do it with my hands. a housefly with its feet.
I do it when I pat a dog I do this with my mouth each day
or feel the silky sand. when I sit down to eat.
What do I do? ________ What do I do? ________
Answer: touch Answer: taste
23
Me
99
Which Part of Me?
Theyre perfect for batting,
and thats not all!
They each have an elbow
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
24
Me
Answer: my hands
This part of me
can wear a hat
and wink and smell
and hear and chat.
Which part of me? ________
Answer: my head
25
Me
99
How Do I Feel?
When someone hurts my feelings,
or a good friend moves away,
I start to feel pretty _______.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
26
Me
99
What Makes Us Special?
My Name
No matter what I say or do,
my name will always be the same.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
My Friend
Friends at home,
Friends at school,
Friends both old and new.
I have a friend with __________________
(example: long brown hair or a yellow shirt)
My friend is next to you!
Answers will vary.
Variation: Tuck kids photos in your pocket chart backward after So now can you guess who? When you
read the riddle together, invite one child to flip the photograph around to see his/her classmate!
Hint: Laminate photos to make them last all year!
27
Me
28
99 I Spy: Which Animal?
I spy with my little eye
a mammal with a spout.
Its bigger than my grandmas car.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
29
99
What Kind of Bear?
Hear me growl my growl.
See my brown, brown hair.
I hibernate in winter.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
30
What DoPenguins?
99
You Know About
We penguins live together.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
31
Which Whale?
99
The h________ whale
is known for its song.
The b________ whale is famous
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
because it is so long.
Answers: humpback, blue
32
Which Community Worker Am I?
99
Fire! Fire!
9-1-1!
I fight the blaze
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
I get up early
just to bake
your cookies, rolls,
and bread and cake.
Who am I? ________
Answer: baker
In rain or snow
or sun or hail,
I walk to your homes
to deliver the mail.
Who am I?________
Answer: mail carrier
33
Im there for you
both night and day
so you are safe
at school and play.
Who am I? ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
34
Transportation: Which Kind?
99
All Aboard!
Clackity-clack.
We go speeding
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Up in the sky,
above the clouds,
propeller whirring
fast and loud.
What is it? ________
Answer: helicopter
35
Across the lake
I row and row.
The harder I pull,
the faster I go.
What is it? ________
Answer: rowboat
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Pedals twirl
and wheels turn.
We ride to school
and then return.
What is it?________
Answer: bicycle
36
Whats the Weather Report?
99
37
99 What Will I Wear in
This Weather?
To keep my hands warm
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
38
9
Sky: Whats Shining?
9
Sometimes its small, sometimes its big.
It shines at night way out in space.
It seems to follow you around.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
39
Which Letter?
99
a
This letter of the alphabet
is in some awesome words you know,
like alligator, ant, afraid.
A
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
d
Answer: Cc
40
e
This letter of the alphabet
is in some easy words you know,
like eat and egg and even eyes.
Now write some other words below! E
Answer: Ee E
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
g
This letter of the alphabet
is in some good old words you know,
like garden, growing, green, and give. G
Now write some other words below!
Answer: Gg G
41
i
This letter of the alphabet
is in some interesting words you know,
like igloo, itch, and ice-cream cone.
Now write some other words below!
I
I
Answer: Ii
j
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
J
This letter of the alphabet
is in some jazzy words you know,
like joke and jeep and jump and jig.
Now write some other words below!
J Answer: Jj
k
This letter of the alphabet
is in some king-size words you know, K
like kindergarten and kangaroo.
Now write some other words below! K
Answer: Kk
l
L This letter of the alphabet
is in some lively words you know,
like leap and laugh and lightning bug.
L Now write some other words below!
Answer: Ll
42
m
This letter of the alphabet
is in some messy words you know,
like mucky, muddy, mopping, milk.
Now write some other words below!
M
Answer: Mm M
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
n
Now write some other words below!
Answer: Nn
43
q
This letter of the alphabet
is in quite a lot of words you know,
like quick and quack and quilt and queen.
Now write some other words below!
Q
Answer: Qq
Q
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
s
This letter of the alphabet
is in some silly words you know,
like slurp and slug and slip and slide. S
Now write some other words below!
Answer: Ss S
t
T is in some tiny words you know,
like to and two and tip and top.
Now write some other words below!
Answer: Tt
44
u
This letter of the alphabet
is in some unusual words you know,
like underwear and upside down.
Now write some other words below! U
Answer: Uu
U
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
x
X This letter of the alphabet
is in extraordinary words you know,
like x-ray, exit, excellent.
X Now write some other words below!
Answer: Xx
45
y
This letter of the alphabet
is in some yummy words you know,
like yogurt, yam, and yellow cake.
Now write some other words below! Y
Answer: Yy
Y
z
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Z
This letter of the alphabet
is in some zippy words you know,
like zigzag, zipper, zip, and zap.
Now write some other words below!
Z Answer: Zz
46
How Many?
99
____ little ladybugs
pretty as can be.
____ flew down and
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
landed on me.
How many ladybugs
left in the tree?
Answers will vary.
47
Can You Bee a Bug Detective?
99
I have 5 eyes,
2 pairs of wings,
3 body parts,
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
48
I come from cocoons
so cozy and tight.
And when it gets dark,
I flutter near light.
Bee a bug detective. ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: moth
I spin a web.
I lay some eggs.
I walk around
on eight thin legs.
Bee a bug detective. ________
Answer: spider
49
99
Which Pet Do You Pick?
I swim in water all day long. They say that I have nine long lives.
You feed me little flakes. I land on four soft feet.
If I were wild and not a pet, I purr and purr when I am rubbed.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
50
At the Beach: What am I?
99
Inside my shells
there is a pearl
for any lucky
boy or girl.
Im an __________.
Answer: oyster
Do not spend me
at the store.
Im a dollar you find
when you explore.
Im a __________.
Answer: sand dollar
Whenever I want to
switch my shell,
anothers shell
will do quite well.
Im a __________.
Answer: hermit crab
51
99 Whos in the Ocean?
Im a fish with fins
gray, white, or dark.
Ive got rows of teeth.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Im an ocean ________.
Answer: shark
My flippers help me
find a meal.
I swim and bark.
Im an ocean ________.
Answer: seal
52
What Can
99
You Find in the
Classroom?
I have 2 hands. I have a face.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
53
Im covered with lines,
and Im most often white.
Im handy when
you want to write.
Find me in the classroom. ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: paper
Im rainbow colors
like red and blue.
When you draw or color,
Im what you use.
Find me in the classroom. ________
Answer: crayons
54
99
Over my head
What Am I Playing?
and under my feet.
The rope twirls around,
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
55
99 Balls: Which Sport?
Swoosh!
Its going through the hoop.
The happy crowd
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Home run,
single, double, too.
You hit this ball
and catch it, too.
Its a ________.
Answer: baseball
56
A reptiles 99
Whos Hatching?
hatching out today.
She has big jaws
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
57
A little babys hatching out
whos covered all in yellow.
Hes peeping and hes cheeping.
Hes a little, feathered fellow.
Whos hatching? ________
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: chick
58
If You Met This Dinosaur,
99
59
99
Whos in the Rain Forest?
When Im eating my ants,
I couldnt be neater.
I use my long tongue.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Im a giant _________.
Answer: anteater
60
I have two very bulgy eyes.
I live in trees and logs.
You see me hop, you hear me croak.
I am a spotted _________.
Answer: frog
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
I am 15 feet long.
No sound do I make.
Ive got a forked tongue.
Im an anaconda _________.
Answer: snake
61
Which Season?
In _______,
99
trees are nice and bare,
and pretty snowflakes fill the sky.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
62
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Variation: Once the children have guessed all the names of the seasons, make a new activity.
Fill in the seasons, and have the children fill in the blanks of the generic poetry frame below.
63
Which Month of the Year?
99
64
Theres always a month of the year
when Memorial Day is here.
Its number five.
Bees buzz in their hive.
Come and whisper the month in my ear.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: May
65
Theres always a month of the year
when the beginning of school is here.
Its number nine.
The classrooms shine.
Come and whisper the month in my ear.
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Answer: September
66
99
Which Day of the Week? I picked a day
a day of the week.
Ill give you a clue,
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
Its the middle of the week and has the longest name. ____________
Answer: Wednesday
Its the first day you can sleep late and play all day. ____________
Answer: Saturday
67
Which Holiday?
99
Black and orange are the colors we use
on this happy holiday.
Can you guess the day Im thinking of?
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
68
Resources for Riddles
99
69
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
99
70
Notes
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
99
71
Notes
201 Thematic Riddle Poems to Build Literacy Betsy Franco, Scholastic Teaching Resources
99
72
Notes