If your kids love logic puzzles, this river crossing riddle is a classic. Can you believe it’s been told for over 1000 years? Today I’m sharing a FREE printable hands-on version featuring a farmer with a job to do, a hungry fox, a chicken and some tasty corn! It’s a fantastic low-prep, inexpensive activity that encourages logical thinking, reasoning and problem solving.
Classic River Crossing Brain Teaser for Kids
The Problem and Rules
A farmer needs to get his fox, chicken and corn across a river to his farm. He has a rowboat, but there are some rules.
- The boat can only carry the farmer and one animal at a time.
- The fox will eat the chicken if left alone with it.
- The chicken will eat the corn if left alone with it.
How can the farmer get the fox, chicken and corn across the river?
FREE Activity Sheet
Make the problem easier to work through with my free worksheet. Cut out the farmer, chicken, corn and boat and move them across the river and back until you solve the problem.
Print out all 3 sheets and cut out the farmer, fox, chicken, corn and boat.
Place all four characters and the boat on one side of the river.
Move the boat, the farmer, and one of the fox, chicken, or corn across the river until you’ve found a way to transport all three without anything being eaten. Write your suggested solution on the answer page.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the solution.
Extra challenges
Use small toys instead of the activity sheet.
Create your own version of the puzzle.
Solution
- The farmer takes the chicken across the river, leaving the fox with the corn.
- The farmer rows back alone.
- The farmer takes the fox across the river. He can’t then leave the chicken and the fox, so he takes the chicken back to the other side.
- The farmer then leaves the chicken behind and takes the corn.
- He then leaves the fox and the corn together and rows back alone.
- Finally, the farmer picks up the chicken and rows to the other side!
Alternative ideas for the same logic puzzle
Witch School
The witch needs to take the baby dragon, the cat and the enchanted spell book from the haunted house to the pumpkin garden, but her magical broomstick can only carry her and one other thing.
If she leaves the dragon with the spell book, the dragon will breathe fire and burn the book.
If she leaves the spell book with the cat, it will banish the cat.
Characters
Main Character – Witch
The baby dragon burns the enchanted spell book.
The enchanted spell book banishes the black cat.
Transport – broomstick
Rules
The dragon cannot be left with the spell book.
The spell book cannot be left with the cat.
Free Activity sheet
Solution
- The witch takes the spell book to the pumpkin garden, leaving the dragon with the cat.
- The witch flies back alone.
- The witch takes the dragon to the pumpkin garden. She can’t then leave the dragon and spellbook alone, so she takes the spellbook back to the haunted house.
- The witch then takes the cat to the pumpkin garden.
- She then leaves the dragon and cat together and flies back alone.
- Finally, the witch picks up the spellbook and flies to the pumpkin garden
Top Tip
Laminate the pieces and use Velcro or Blu-Tack on the broom to turn this into a reusable activity.
Last Updated on September 22, 2026 by Emma Vanstone
