Did you know that lots of brainteasers like puzzles and riddles can improve your brain health? The more intricate the riddle is, the more beneficial it is to you!

They're more than just simple things that children do, that's for sure! Here's why: they make you think outside the box!

They enable you to form and develop new cognitive pathways between brain cells – it's like stretching them out…

What Is This Riddle?

An elderly couple went on a picnic. They have five sons, and each son has three children. In total, how many people went for a picnic?

I know, I know – math is scary! If you're like me and haven't done maths for years, take a minute or two to situate the question. Check what it is asking – see if they're trying to catch you out.

Take all the time you need but remember to push yourself to find an answer and not give up! It's all about practice!

What answers did you get? I'm not going to lie, the first time I did this I got 22.

But that's wrong! Have another guess, if you were like me and did the maths…

Still guessing? Let me put you out of your misery and give you the answer – it will make you feel foolish!

Think back to the first few words… Only the elderly couple went on the picnic!

It's funny how our brain will distract itself and assume that the hardest, longest way around is the solution. Sometimes the answer is right in front of us and we don't even see it!

That's a metaphor for life, but we need a glass of wine to swallow that realization.

At least that exercised our logistical and mathematical brain cells. It was necessary for me, but hopefully, you performed marginally better than me.

Intricate Riddles Aren't Scary After All

Let's try another and recover our faith in ourselves!

Maybe that was not the puzzle for you, but don't worry! There's loads to try…

You have to spot the odd shape out in the rest of the pattern in record-splitting time. But don't worry, it's not super intense. Just ensure that your coordination skills are in focus for the time you are given.

You have thirty seconds to start with and you have to find the answer to all eight images. It's harder than it looks!

Or, failing that – why not give maths another go? Here's an intense math problem that many people struggle with without a calculator.

Give it your best shot!