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Printable Rebus Puzzles For All Ages
If you’re looking for something to challenge the kids and get minds thinking, why not try our 344 free printable rebus puzzles with answers? They are always a hit in the classroom and just as popular with adults, too.
These one-of-a-kind puzzles use a combination of letters, symbols and pictures to form a word or phrase.
We’ve got a great selection of different sets of printable rebus puzzles with answers to choose from. Beginners might like to try our 100 easy rebus puzzles, and we’ve got 36 printable rebus puzzles with answers specially designed for kids.
We’ve also got plenty of themed rebus brain teasers, covering sports, food, and music – perfect for end-of-term fun at school or family parties! Film buffs might like to try our movie-themed rebus puzzles with answers, including Kids Movie Rebus Puzzles and Christmas Movie Rebus Puzzles.
What Are Rebus Puzzles?
If you haven’t come across these games before, rebuses are “picture and word” puzzles that challenge your brain and require immense creativity to solve.
They consist of a combination of pictures, directions, words, letters, and even symbols that represent a common phrase. To solve the puzzle, you must detangle the visual clues!
For example, if a rebus puzzle has the word ONCE and a picture of a clock below it, the answer will be ‘Once Upon A Time.’
These popular puzzles have been around for thousands of years, with the first rebus printed on a clay tablet around 5000 years ago! Rebus puzzles are also sometimes called pictogram puzzles, picture riddles or visual puzzles, but the idea is always the same – to stretch your mind by using the visual clues and a variety of wordplays to find the answer.
Rebus Puzzle Example
Rebus Puzzle Answer = Once Upon A Time
These visual word puzzles might look difficult at first glance, but children can enjoy solving rebuses of varying difficulty from around the age of 5. So whether you’re the parent of a preschool kid or a teenager, you can find the perfect rebus puzzle for your child. Of course adults can join in the fun too, whether you’re helping a younger family member or just want to relax with a puzzle or two by yourself.
We’ve got a huge selection of free printable rebus puzzles with answers to choose from, including 100 Common Sayings Rebus Puzzles, and themed rebus brain teasers including Music Stars, Guess the Food and Christmas Movies.
Interesting Fact: Did you know that the word Rebus comes from the Latin phrase non verbis, sed rebus – which roughly translates as “not by words, but by things”?
What’s Included In Our Collection Of Rebus Puzzles
Our free rebus puzzles which come in printable PDF files with pages loaded with numbered rebus puzzles of various levels of difficulty. While some puzzles contain simpler designs with easy-to-identify pictures and symbols, others might require input from older siblings or even Mom and Dad!
But don’t worry. Even if nobody at home can figure out even the trickiest of our rebus puzzles, a complete answer sheet is included in the back of the packet.
If you’re using our printable rebus puzzles in a classroom, you can laminate the sheets to make them more durable.
100 Easy Rebus Puzzles With Answers PDF
Our first set of 100 easy rebus puzzles with answers is a great way to get started with these tricky brain-teasers. Each puzzle contains a design with easily recognizable pictures and symbols, and is perfect for beginners and younger kids.
To get started, download each printable pdf by simply clicking on the blue download button then save onto your PC. Then print out the puzzles and get those brains working!
Try to pay attention to the shape, placement, size, and color of the words and images in each rebus puzzle. And remember, we’ve included the answers too if you do get stuck…
Rebus Puzzles 1-12
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Croo fire
2. Coffee time
3. Somewhere over the rainbow
4. Downtown
5. Big head
6. Looking backwards
7. Pretty please
8. Downhill
9. History repeats itself
10. Half time
11. 1 In a million
12. Locksmith
Rebus Puzzles 13-24
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Football
2. Get over it
3. Highschool
4. Bridge over water
5. Turning over a new leaf
6. Banana split
7. Crossroads
8. Broken heart
9. Last chance
10. Doubled booked
11. All things big
12. Sweet tooth
Rebus Puzzles 25-36
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Redface
2. Head over heels
3. Growing economy
4. High frequency
5. Green grass
6. Top secret
7. Little sister
8. Get in shape
9. Broken promise
10. Half a million
11. Good afternoon
12. Top hat
Rebus Puzzles 37-48
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Best man
2. Hand in hand
3. Queen bee
4. Around the world
5. Big spender
6. Blackbird
7. Hole in one
8. 4 Wheel drive
9. Spaceship
10. Half a dozen
11. Big deal
12. Stand by me
Rebus Puzzles 49-60
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. 1st class
2. Upside down
3. Black hole
4. Men in black
5. Walking on thin ice
6. Misunderstood
7. Jack in a box
8. No one to blame
9. Countdown
10. Wish upon a star
11. Broken leg
12. Greenhouse
Rebus Puzzles 61-72
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Big baby
2. Inside job
3. Forfeit
4. The last man standing
5. I Understand
6. Jailbreak
7. Wide awake
8. Up in arms
9. Peanuts
10. Slightly overcast
11. Low self-esteem
12. Turnaround
Rebus Puzzles 73-84
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Lockdown
2. X marks the spot
3. Eye of the storm
4. Backdoor
5. Read between the lines
6. Holy cow
7. Bedspread
8. High temperature
9. 2 under par
10. Just right
11. No I in team
12. Last straw
Rebus Puzzles 85-96
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Split decision
2. Forget it
3. Double time
4. Watermark
5. Middleage
6. Backing up
7. No I dear
8. Getting old
9. Slice of cake
10. Cutting edge
11. Corner shop
12. On-time
Rebus Puzzles 97-100
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. Mind over matter
2. Tricycle
3. Doubled crossed
4. Long time no C
NEW 100 Rebus Puzzles And Answers ( Updated 22/01/2024 )
There are nine new pages included in this printable PDF, and each page contains 12 rebus puzzles all with a common saying or phrase to decipher – enough rebuses to keep old and young entertained for hours.
When trying to solve our rebus puzzles featuring common phrases, remember to pay attention to the placement, size, shape and even colour of the pictures and words in each rebus puzzle. And remember, these puzzles are often not what they seem! How many of them can the kids solve?
Some of the rebus puzzles are trickier than others, so younger children might need a helping hand from someone older in the family. And if everyone at home is stuck on any of the puzzles, we’ve included the answers too.
New Rebus Puzzles 1-12
Rebus Puzzle Answers
1. A penny for your thoughts
2. An arm and a leg
3. Bite the bullet
4. Can’t judge a book by its cover
5. Caught between a rock and a hard place
6. Close but no cigar
7. Cross that bridge when you come to it
8. Don’t cry over spilled milk
9. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
10. You can’t put the genie back in the bottle
11. It’s raining cats and dogs
12. Get out of hand
New Rebus Puzzles 13-24
Rebus Puzzle Answers
13. Hit the nail on the head
14. Home is where the heart is
15. In hot water
16. It’s a piece of cake
17. Keep your eyes on the prize
18. Kill two birds with one stone
19. Let the cat out of the bag
20. Like a bull in a china shop
21. Many hands make light work
22. Once in a blue moon
23. The grass is always greener on the other side
24. The last straw
New Rebus Puzzles 25-36
Rebus Puzzle Answers
25. Not my cup of tea
26. Go the extra mile
27. An apple a day keeps the doctor away
28. The ball is in your court
29. Put your best foot forward
30. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
31. See eye to eye
32. Money talks
33. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks
34. The early bird catches the worm
35. Put the cart before the horse
36. Barking up the wrong tree
New Rebus Puzzles 37-48
Rebus Puzzle Answers
37. Long time no see
38. You’re under arrest
39. Half-hearted
40. Life after death
41. I’m on top of the world
42. Time flies
43. Heartbreaker
44. Reading glasses
45. Four corners of the Earth
46. Piece of mind
47. Hit the road
48. Mind your own business
New Rebus Puzzles 49-60
Rebus Puzzle Answers
49. All in all
50, Up in arms
51. Light at the end of the tunnel
52. Take it with a grain of salt
53. One foot in the grave
54. Kiss and make up
55. Shooting star
56. Paint the town red
57. Head in the clouds
58. Mind the gap
59. Time on my hands
60. Burning the candle at both ends
New Rebus Puzzles 61-72
Rebus Puzzle Answers
61. Back to square one
62. Falling in love
63. The world at your feet
64. Running out of time
65. Two sides to every story
66. Right under your nose
67. Highway robbery
68. Bird’s eye view
69. Over the moon
70. Horsepower
71. On cloud nine
72. All ears
New Rebus Puzzles 73-84
Rebus Puzzle Answers
73. Rock and roll
74. First aid
75. Cat got your tongue
76. Feeling under the weather
77. Jump of the bangwagon
78. Music to my ears
79. Heart of gold
80. Rise and shine
81. Pig out
82. All thumbs
83. The proof is in the pudding
84. Square meal
New Rebus Puzzles 85-96
Rebus Puzzle Answers
85. Two peas in a pod
86. Running on empty
87. Broken record
88. Back to the basics
89. A storm in a teacup
90. Needle in a haystack
91. Turning over a new leaf
92. Cold shoulder
93. Under the table
94. An open and shut case
95. All in the same boat
96. Jack of all trades
New Rebus Puzzles 97-100
Rebus Puzzle Answers
97. Face the music
98. Two can play that game
99. Ring around the rosie
100. Cold turkey
Themed Rebus Puzzles
Our entertaining Themed Rebus Puzzles are bound to go down a treat at family games nights or in the classroom. Each set contains beautifully illustrated themed rebus puzzles to get stuck into on printable pdfs.
We’ve created sets of printable themed rebus puzzles covering music, sport, movies, food, and a special set designed with youngsters in mind. So whether you’re having a football-themed birthday party, an end of term school quiz, or a Christmas get-together with all the family, we’ve got the perfect set of rebus puzzles for you.
36 Kids Rebus Puzzles
Our 36 Printable Kids Rebus Puzzles are the perfect introduction for youngsters who want to try these tricky picture riddles for the first time. Each printable page contains 12 rebus puzzles – plenty to keep the kids busy for a while!
These fantastic brain teasers are brilliant for boosting your little one’s problem-solving skills, memory and concentration! Once they’ve tackled our kids rebus puzzles, they should be confident enough to try some of our trickier rebus puzzles, too.
36 Music Rebus Puzzles
Music lovers can test their skills with our 36 Music Rebus Puzzles. These musical brain teasers include stars from the swinging sixties right up to the modern-day charts, so it’s a great challenge for all ages.
Each printable PDF contains 12 rebus puzzles, each hiding a famous music star or band. Try and guess as many as you can, but don’t worry if you don’t know them all because we’ve got answer sheets too.
24 Food Rebus Puzzles
Our 24 Food Rebus Puzzles are perfect if you are studying a food topic in the classroom, or you can enjoy them as a fun quiz at home.
Each printable PDF contains 12 colorful rebus food puzzles. Each puzzle has been designed to be tricky enough to get young minds working, but not too difficult. If your youngster does get stuck on any of the puzzles, we’ve included the answers to help.
12 Christmas Movies Rebus Puzzles
Christmas is a great time to enjoy puzzles and games with all the family, or use these fun printable Christmas Movies Rebus Puzzles as an end-of-term activity in school.
There are 12 classic Christmas films to decipher on this printable PDF – perfect for keeping everyone busy over the festive period!
Why not have a little competition to see who can complete the puzzles first, and the winner gets to choose a festive film to watch?
12 Sport Rebus Puzzles
Sports fans will love diving into this fabulous set of printable Sport Rebus Puzzles. This printable PDF has 12 rebus puzzles to untangle. Simply click to download the PDF onto your PC, print out the puzzles, and get those thinking caps on to see how many you can guess!
Some of the sports we’ve hidden are well known and easy to decipher, but there are a few trickier ones here too! Remember, if you get stuck you can always check the answers.
Good luck!
12 Kids Movie Rebus Puzzles
Does your little one love to watch movies? If they do, this set of 12 kids movie rebus puzzles is a great way to stretch their mind and test their problem solving abilities.
There are 12 favorite kids movie rebus puzzles to untangle on this printable PDF. Remember to think outside the box and pay attention to how the pictures, words and symbols are placed.
Perhaps the kids can have a competition against the adults and see who guesses the most?
12 Movie Rebus Puzzles
Our 12 Movie Rebus Puzzles are a brilliant brain teaser for all ages to enjoy. This theme revolves around well known films, but don’t worry if you haven’t seen them all – you can still solve the puzzles by looking at the visual clues.
There are 12 movies to decipher in this set – simply download the pdf and print out the puzzles, then get solving! Some of the puzzles are quite tricky, but don’t panic – if everyone is stuck, we’ve included the answers.
The Benefits of Doing Rebus Puzzles:
While rebus puzzles can be a great source of fun and provide hours of entertainment, they are also a key method of training young brains to think critically and think outside the box. The detective skills they learn from pinpointing clues, combining sources of information, and using their imagination to solve these puzzles can transfer into reading literature, active listening, and even more important subjects at school.
Working to solve the puzzles can also improve cognitive function and in turn short-term memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. This is because intense moments of brain activity strengthens neural connections!
Similarly, rebus puzzles can boost your child’s vocabulary. As children and adults solve these puzzles, they are exposed to new words and phrases that they may have not encountered before.
Finally, our printable puzzles offer children a comfortable opportunity to think outside the box and use their very own imagination. The more accomplishments they make by solving harder and harder puzzles leads to a greatly improved self-confidence in their skills and abilities.
So throw away their teacher’s boring notes! Have some meaningful and educational fun with our printable PDF of 100 quizzical rebus puzzles for kids.
Tips For Solving Rebus Puzzles:
Count the number of words you see:
It’s unusual to see words repeated over and over again in fiction, magazines, or movies, but that’s what rebus puzzles are all about! Count the number of times you see a word or phrase written, because it likely has something to do with the puzzle’s solution. For example, if the word “square” is written four times, the answer might be four-square, a children’s game played on the playground!Look at the position of symbols next to each other:
You’ll often see words, images, or symbols placed next to each other in peculiar ways in rebus puzzles. Make a note of where things are located! The direction or orientation might come up in the answer, such as the letters “lem” hovering above the letters “ade.” If lem is on ade, then the answer might be lemonade!Try to recognize patterns:
If you see a pattern forming amongst the symbols or words in a rebus puzzle, it might be important for figuring out the meaning behind the clues. Apply the pattern to the entire puzzle so you read the words in the correct order or decode the message in another way!Identify the name of shapes and symbols:
Often times, rebus puzzles make you think more than you need to. If you see a circle on the page, don’t second-guess yourself! See if the word “circle” or “round” fits into your answer anywhere. Similarly, if you see a plus sign, try adding the puzzle’s symbols together like a real math equation. Let the clues guide your thinking.Find the puzzle’s focus:
Most importantly, don’t get bogged down on irrelevant details. If a word is circled, it is likely the primary focus of the rebus puzzle so you can spend your time contemplating how the other figures relate to it. Go into each puzzle with an understanding of what you’re trying to solve.Take breaks:
If you’re anything like us at Just Family Fun, we need to take breaks after using our brains for a long time! Don’t try to solve all one hundred rebus puzzles at once, because you’ll get tired and feel less motivated and creative. Instead, take breaks while you’re playing to let your mind rest up.Check your answers:
Finally, check your answers against the official answer sheet. There’s nothing worse than being confident about an answer only to find out it’s wrong, but that’s how you learn from your mistakes. Make sure you have everything right when you’re done playing.
How To Use Rebus Puzzles:
Anybody can sit down with a rebus puzzle and quietly ponder its mysteries. But that’s no fun! There are dozens of ways to use rebus puzzles in other games and activities. Which one of these is your favorite?
Speedy solving race:
You can play this game with as many puzzlers as you have on hand! Give each player the exact same rebus puzzle turned upside down so they cannot see it. On the count of three, each player will flip their puzzle over and work to figure out the puzzle’s solution in the shortest amount of time. To make this competition even more interesting, provide players with different puzzles to each other, or even multiple puzzles in the same round!Puzzle it out together:
These rebus puzzles in our printable PDF require many different skills to solve, including but not limited to creativity, noticing fine details, and contextualizing. But we can’t be masters at every single skill! So put your expertises together and solve these puzzles as a team. Gather your kids, their friends, your students, or the entire family and work together to notice symbols, piece their meanings together, and find the answer. This is a fun and compassionate team working challenge for groups of any size.Rebus scavenger hunt:
This one is perfect for a big group of kids (or even adults!) who enjoy solving puzzles while being physically active. The objective is to find the rebus puzzles scattered and hidden around a designated area, such as your home, backyard, or nearby park. To start the game, players are given a list of clues that describe the location of each rebus puzzle, such as “look for a rebus puzzle near a tree with three branches”. Be creative! Once a player or their team finds a puzzle, they must solve it correctly to receive the next clue. The game continues until all the puzzles have been found. The player or team that has collected and answered the most puzzles correctly wins the rebus scavenger hunt!Rebus Relay Race:
This race is another mentally and physically intense activity for players of any age. The aim of the game is for each team to solve a rebus puzzle before receiving another from their racing player.Each team will have a given area like the dining room table where they will work on solving puzzles together. The first player in each team, standing across the room, park, or road, will receive a puzzle and run it down to their team of puzzle solvers. The same player will run back and forth, delivering one puzzle to their team at a time until they run out. Meanwhile, the players receiving the puzzles must solve them as quickly as possible to win the game.
Conclusion:
Our free, printable rebus puzzles are an excellent resource for kids to engage in problem-solving activities while still having fun. They are an ideal way to stimulate children’s minds, help improve their cognitive skills, and boost their self confidence and creativity. Whether used in a classroom setting, as a weekend activity, or for an after-school relaxer, rebus puzzles can provide an enjoyable learning experience for kids of any age.
If you love the idea of rebus puzzles or have already had a go with our printables, you may be interested in trying out more of our activities, such as a free dots and boxes game template to make your own fun at home or take your guess at the questions in our ultimate Harry Potter trivia quiz with answers.
Visit Just Family Fun’s main page to try our scavenger hunts, coloring pages, and multitude of other engaging activities and games. Or, feel free to send us a picture of your solved puzzles, rebus relay race, scavenger hunt in the park, and other favorite rebus puzzle activities to share the fun!
If you’re looking for more fun and challenging rebus puzzles, why not check out our rebus puzzle Pinterest board? We’ve got hundreds more free puzzles waiting for you to give your brain a workout!