40 Nature Riddles

Nature has always been a source of wonder and fascination for humans. From the vast oceans to the towering mountains and the smallest creatures in the forest, there is an endless array of mysteries waiting to be explored. 

To celebrate the beauty and complexity of the natural world, we’ve put together some nature riddles that will challenge your mind and test your knowledge of the great outdoors. 

Let’s begin exploring them, one at a time. 

Nature Riddles

1. I am not a bird, but I can fly through the sky. I am not a river, but I’m full of water. What am I?
   
   
2. I dance in the breeze, but I am not alive. I shine in the light, yet I am not a jewel. What am I?
   
   
3. I have a heart that never beats, I have a home but I never sleep. I can take a man’s house and build another’s, And I love to play games with my many brothers. What am I?
   
   
4. I am tall when I am young, and I am short when I am old. What am I?
   
   
5. I have keys but open no lock. I have space but no room. You can enter, but can’t go outside. What am I?
   
   
6. I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest man can’t hold me for much more than a minute. What am I?
   
   
7. I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?
   
   
8. I have a ring, but no fingers. I used to stay still, but now I follow you around. What am I?
   
   
9. I am a natural protector, though I have no sword or gun. I stand still, but I block the sun. What am I?
   
   
10. I am full of holes but can hold water. What am I?
    
    
11. I fall from the sky but am not rain, and I’m beautiful and unique when I’m a pain. What am I?
    
    
12. I’m not a snake, but I do slither in a certain way. I can be silver, but I’m not a fish. What am I?
    
    
13. I start in the morning, grow taller with the sun, but by night I vanish, fun for everyone. What am I?
    
    
14. I’m green and I’m pointy, and from me, you might get a prick, yet every December I stand tall, adorned with lights and tricks. What am I?
    
    
15. I’m both a source of life and a force of destruction, I’m as soft as silk but can be as hard as rock. What am I?
    
    
16. I’m not a bridge, but I connect land, not made by man, but by nature’s hand. What am I?
    
    
17. I roar without a mouth, rush without feet, I can turn a valley into a street. What am I?
    
    
18. I can be cracked, made, told, and played. What am I?
    
    
19. You can catch me but cannot throw me. I’m not a cold, but I can disappear. What am I?
    
    
20. I have a neck but no head, I wear a cap but have no face. I can stand but not walk. What am I?
    
    
21. I am not a cat, but I purr. I am not a bird, but I hum. I can brighten a room without a bulb. What am I?
    
    
22. I have a crown but am not a king, I have roots but am not a plant. What am I?
    
    
23. You may see me once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years. What am I?
    
    
24. I’m not a bear, but I can have a den. I’m not a bird, but I can have a nest. I’m made by man and nature’s friend. What am I?
    
    
25. I go up when the rain comes down. What am I?
    
    
26. I whisper in the wind’s ear, I chatter in the storm, yet when the breeze is still, my tongue is calm. What am I?
    
    
27. I can be cracked, I can be made, I can be told, I can be played. What am I?
    
    
28. I have hands, but I cannot clap. I tell you the time, but I don’t talk. What am I?
    
    
29. I am heavy forward, but backward I’m not. What am I?
    
    
30. I am not a snake, but I slither in the grass. I don’t bite, but I sprinkle. What am I?
    
    
31. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
    
    
32. I’m light as a feather, but the strongest man can’t hold me for more than 5 minutes. What am I?
    
    
33. I have a head and a tail, but no body. What am I?
    
    
34. I fly without wings, I cry without eyes. Whenever I go, darkness flies. What am I?
    
    
35. I am a mother from a family renowned, though born from no mother, I can be found. What am I?
    
    
36. I go around in circles, but always straight ahead. I never complain, no matter where I am led. What am I?
    
    
37. I have an eye but cannot see. I’m faster than any man alive. What am I?
    
    
38. I have a spine but no bones. What am I?
    
    
39. You can hold me in your left hand but not in your right. What am I?
    
    
40. I am not alive, but I can grow. I don’t have lungs, but I need air. I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?

Answers

1. A cloud.
   
   
2. A leaf.
   
   
3. A river.
   
   
4. A candle.
   
   
5. A map.
   
   
6. Breath.
   
   
7. Fire.
   
   
8. A tree’s shadow.
   
   
9. An umbrella.
   
   
10. A sponge.
    
    
11. Snowflake.
    
    
12. River.
    
    
13. Shadow.
    
    
14. Christmas Tree.
    
    
15. Water.
    
    
16. Isthmus.
    
    
17. River.
    
    
18. Joke.
    
    
19. A cold.
    
    
20. Bottle.
    
    
21. Bee.
    
    
22. Tooth.
    
    
23. The letter ‘M’.
    
    
24. A treehouse.
    
    
25. Umbrella.
    
    
26. Leaves.
    
    
27. A joke.
    
    
28. A clock.
    
    
29. The word “ton.”
    
    
30. A hose.
    
    
31. A map.
    
    
32. Breath.
    
    
33. A coin.
    
    
34. Cloud.
    
    
35. Mother Nature.
    
    
36. A wheel.
    
    
37. A tornado.
    
    
38. A book.
    
    
39. Your right hand.
    
    
40. Fire.

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