Top 10 Lateral Thinking Puzzles

If you’re looking for a fun and challenging puzzle to keep your mind occupied, lateral thinking puzzles are ideal. These puzzles require you to think “outside the box” and develop creative solutions. Here are 10 of the best lateral thinking puzzles from around the web. Happy puzzling!

 

1. The Missing Dollar

 

You are given the following scenario: Three men check into a hotel room. The clerk charges them $30 for the room, so they each pay $10. Later, the clerk realizes that he overcharged them by $5, giving the bellboy $5 to return to the men. the bellboy doesn’t know how to divide the money evenly on the way back on the track before, so he gives each man $1 and keeps $2 for himself. That means that each man initially paid $9 for the room for $27. Add up what the men have now, and you get $30 – where’s the missing dollar?

 

2. The Monty Hall Problem

 

You’re on a game show and given the choice of three doors. Behind one door is a car. Behind the others, goats. You pick a door, say No. 1, and the host, who knows what’s behind the doors, opens another door, say No. 3, which has a goat. He then says to you, “Do you want to pick door No. 2?” Is it to your advantage to switch your choice?

 

3. The Crooked Man

 

A man walks into a bar and asks for a beer. He then asks the bartender for a shot of whiskey. The bartender obliges, and the man downs the shot. He then asks the bartender for another shot of whiskey, and the bartender says, “You know, you really shouldn’t be drinking so much. How about I give you a beer instead?” The man agrees and is given a beer. He then leaves the bar. What is the man’s name?

 

4. The Farmer and the River

 

A farmer needs to transport his animals across a river. He has a chicken, a duck, and a sack of grain. He can only take one animal at a time in his boat. If he leaves the chicken with the duck, the chicken will eat the grain. If he leaves the duck with the grain, the duck will eat the grain. How does he get all three animals and the grain across the river?

 

5. The Two Jugs

You have two jugs, a 4-gallon jug and a 3-gallon jug. Neither of the pitchers has any markings on them. You also have an unlimited supply of water. How can you measure out exactly 2 gallons of water?

 

6. The Man in the Elevator

 

A man gets on an elevator and pushes the button for the top floor. When he gets off, he immediately presses the button for the bottom floor. He then gets back on the elevator and pushes the button for the top floor again. When he gets off, he makes the button for the middle floor. What foundation does he get off on?

 

7. The Cup of Coffee

 

You are in a coffee shop when you overhear a customer asking for a cup of coffee. The barista tells him that the coffee machine is broken and that he can only have tea. The customer agrees and is given a cup of tea. When he pays, the barista tells him that the cash register is also broken and he can only have a doughnut. The customer agrees and is given a doughnut. When he leaves, the barista tells him that the door is locked and he can only have a key. The customer agrees and is given a key. What is the customer’s name?

 

8. The Bridge

 

You come to a river with a bridge, but it is out. You have no way to cross except by swimming. You can’t swim, and you can’t travel without getting wet. How do you get across?

 

9. The Candle

 

You have a candle, a box of matches, and a newspaper. You enter a room with an open window and a fan blowing towards the window. How do you light the candle without the wind blowing it out?

 

10. The Two Houses

 

There are two houses. One is red, and one is blue. They are both made of brick and have thatched roofs. There is a family in the red house and a family in the blue house. The family in the red house has four members: a mother, a father, a son, and a daughter. The family in the blue house also has four members: a mother, a father, a son, and a daughter. The families are of average intelligence and have never been known to lie. Here are some things they said:

 

The red-haired family said:

– We don’t have a son.

– The family in the house next door to us has a daughter.

 

The blue-haired family said:

– We have a daughter.

– At least one of the families on this street has two sons.

 

Who are the families, and how many children does each have?

 

Bottom Line Up Front:

 

1) if you’re looking for a fun and challenging puzzle to keep your mind occupied, brain games and lateral thinking puzzles are the perfect option.

2) These puzzles require you to think “outside the box” and develop creative solutions.

3) To get started, here are 10 of the best lateral thinking puzzles from around the web. Happy puzzling!