6 Fun Sea Turtle Riddles for a 6-Year-Old

Here are 6 simple and fun riddles about sea turtles. Try to guess each one, then read the hint and the answer!

1. Riddle: I carry my house on my back but I don’t live on land like a snail. I swim in the ocean and I am covered by a shell. What am I?
   Hint: I have flippers to help me swim.
   Answer: Sea turtle.
   Explanation: Sea turtles have hard shells and flippers and live mostly in the ocean.
2. Riddle: I hatch on warm sand, I’m tiny and brave. I wiggle to the water to start my big wave. What am I?
   Hint: I’m a baby sea turtle running to the sea.
   Answer: A baby sea turtle (hatchling).
   Explanation: Baby sea turtles hatch from eggs on the beach and hurry to the ocean.
3. Riddle: I have flippers instead of hands and a shell on my back. I eat plants and sometimes jellyfish and swim along the track. What am I?
   Hint: I am an ocean reptile with a shell.
   Answer: Sea turtle.
   Explanation: Different sea turtles eat different foods, and they use flippers to swim.
4. Riddle: I am not a fish but I live in the sea; I breathe air like you and can hold my breath when I dive. What am I?
   Hint: I come up to the surface to breathe.
   Answer: Sea turtle.
   Explanation: Sea turtles are reptiles, so they breathe air even though they live in water.
5. Riddle: My shell can be smooth or rough, some of me are big and some are small. I lay eggs in the sand when nightfall calls. What am I?
   Hint: I crawl on the beach to make a nest.
   Answer: Sea turtle.
   Explanation: Mother sea turtles come ashore at night to dig nests and lay eggs in the sand.
6. Riddle: I can travel far across the ocean and come back to the same beach I know. I may be slow on land but graceful in the sea. What am I?
   Hint: Some of us swim thousands of miles.
   Answer: Sea turtle.
   Explanation: Many sea turtles migrate long distances and return to the beach where they were born.

Have fun asking these to friends or family — and try making your own sea turtle riddle!