[For Seniors] Think and Have Fun: Introducing Brain-Stimulating Logic Puzzles
This time, we’re introducing logic puzzles designed for older adults.
A logic puzzle is one where you think about why something happens or consider the methods and steps involved.
Making use of your own knowledge and finding hints or trick points in the problem statement are key to solving the puzzles.
Thoughtfully working through logic puzzles helps activate the brain and can also improve concentration and creativity.
Why not incorporate them into quiz activities at senior care facilities? We’ve prepared everything from shorter puzzles with fewer clues in the text to longer ones with more to read.
Try using paper or a whiteboard to make things clearer with drawings and diagrams, and offer hints as needed to make it engaging!
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[For Seniors] Think and Have Fun: Introducing Brain-Stimulating Logic Puzzles (11–20)
There are three convenience stores between my house and the nearest train station. I usually shop at the closest one, but when I buy a certain product, I go to the convenience store farthest from my home. There’s no difference in selection or price, so why do I buy it at the farthest store?
See the answer
Because one of the items was an umbrella. It wasn’t raining when I left home and walked to the nearest station, but it was raining when I walked from the station back home. I usually shop at the convenience store closest to my house, but to avoid getting wet on the way home, I buy an umbrella at the convenience store that’s farthest from my house and closest to the station.
Two bodies were found in the snowy mountains, and one of them had a rifle. It appears that only one shot was fired from the rifle. The autopsy revealed that the two died at almost the same time, and suicide has been ruled out. Why did they die?
See the answer
Given that only one shot was fired from the rifle, that the two people died at almost the same time, and that the scene was a snowy mountain, the correct answer is: “The impact of the rifle shot triggered an avalanche, and both of them were caught in it.”
In a certain house, there were a dog, a cow, a cat, and a sheep. When asked, the owner said that among them, there is an animal that lies face down when a person comes next to it. Which one is it?
See the answer
dog
Among the animals mentioned in the problem, “dog” seems the most likely to be lying face down. But even from the problem statement, you can deduce the answer. Replace the “person” component with the ninben (the person radical) and combine it with the kanji for “dog.” You get 伏, which means “to lie face down” or “to lower oneself,” as in “fuseru.” Therefore, the correct answer is ‘dog.’
Two prisoners are locked in a single cell. There’s a window about 10 meters above the cell floor, but they can’t reach it. So the two prisoners devise an escape plan to dig a tunnel in the floor, but after digging for several days, they come up with a different plan and successfully escape. What was the plan that allowed them to escape?
See the answer
The plan was to pile up the soil dug for the tunnel on the jail cell floor, stand on the mound, and escape through the open window. By stacking the large amount of soil, they created a mound high enough to climb out of the window.
In a certain park, Taro and Hanako were playing. Taro was standing facing west, and Hanako was standing facing east. Then Taro, who was facing west, said, “There’s a butterfly perched on top of Hanako’s head right now.” Even though Taro didn’t have a mirror or anything like that, how did he know there was a butterfly perched on Hanako’s head?
See the answer
Because they were standing facing each other. In the problem, it says that Taro was facing west and Hanako was facing east, which might make you think they were standing back-to-back facing opposite directions, but in fact Taro and Hanako were standing facing each other.
One night, I lit ten candles indoors at the same time. A gust of wind soon blew out one. Another gust quickly blew out two more, so I closed the window. After closing it, no more candles were blown out by the wind. How many candles were left the next morning?
See the answer
I lit 10 candles at the same time, but 3 of them were blown out by the wind. After that, I closed the window, so it seems the wind no longer blew out any flames. Therefore, the remaining 7 should have burned down completely from their own flames. Thus, the answer is the 3 that were blown out by the wind earlier.
[For Seniors] Think and Have Fun: Introducing Brain-Stimulating Logic Riddles (21–30)
There were two girls at the school who were born to the same parents, shared the same birth date, and looked very much alike. When I asked, “Are you twins?” they said, “No.” How can that be? (They’re part of a set of triplets—or more.)
See the answer
Because there were triplets or more, rather than just twins.
You can imagine the scenario working if there are triplets or more, rather than just twins. Incidentally, in Japan the first quintuplets born in a single delivery arrived in 1976. Around the world, there have even been cases of octuplets and nonuplets born in a single delivery. I’d love to meet them someday.