175 Fifth Grade Trivia Questions: Are YOU Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

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Have you ever seen the super popular show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” The show’s concept revolves around adults competing to answer elementary-level questions to prove whether they are truly smarter than fifth-grade students. And that was the inspiration for this trivia article!

Whether you’re an adult looking to test your knowledge against fifth-grade brilliance or a parent/guardian rounding up activities for curious 5th graders seeking a fun challenge beyond the classroom, this trivia adventure is perfect for you!

In this post, we have prepared a delightful assortment of trivia questions that cover a wide range of topics. Get ready to explore questions about geography, science, and math that will spark your curiosity and keep you on your toes. We’ve also included trivia based on books that 5th graders love, ensuring you’ll encounter some familiar literary friends along the way.

But that’s not all! To add an extra dash of excitement, we’ve included trivia questions about popular TV shows and movies that are cherished by the kiddos. Don’t miss the end of this post, where you’ll be able to find some fun riddles and slapstick jokes fifth-graders will love!

So, are you up for this family-friendly challenge? Can you conquer these questions and prove your brainpower? Or will the young 5th-grade geniuses outshine you? There’s only one way to find out! Keep reading for all the trivia goodness and let the fun begin!

* This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful content. Thanks!

Before you dive into all the fun, we invite you to bookmark or save some of these other kid-friendly trivia quizzes for later! There is no end to the trivia fun!

Table of Contents

5th Grade Trivia Questions: General Knowledge

The “oboe” is a type of what — fruit, musical instrument, animal, or kitchen utensil?

Answer: Musical instrument.

What is a noun?

Answer: A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.

What is an adjective?

What is the capital of the United States?

Answer: Washington DC.

What are the three primary colors?

Answer: Red, Yellow, Blue.

Can you name all the colors of the rainbow?

Answer: Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

Answer: A word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.

What is a “quokka” — a type of fruit, rock, animal, or biome?

Answer: An animal. It’s a small marsupial found in Western Australia.

Quokka animal - Land Of Trivia — This is a quokka!

How many syllables are there in the word “Mississippi”?

Answer: 4.

How many syllables are in the word “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”?

Answer: 14.

What is a “glockenspiel”? Is it a type of food, tool, animal, or musical instrument?

Answer: A musical instrument (percussion instrument consisting of a set of tuned metal bars arranged in a keyboard layout).

What is a “palindrome”?

Answer: A word or phrase that reads the same backward as forward.

What does a “sphygmomanometer” measure?

Answer: Blood pressure.

What is the opposite of “young”?

Answer: Old

What is the past tense of the verb “run”?

Answer: Ran

Identify the adjective in the sentence: “The fluffy kitten played with a shiny toy.”

Answer: Fluffy

When you mix blue and yellow, what color do you get?

Answer: Green

What are the five vowels in the English alphabet?

Answer: A, E, I, O, and U

How many stripes are on the United States flag?

Answer: 13

Meteorology is the study of what?

Answer: Weather

What is the main language spoken in Mexico?

Answer: Spanish

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Science Trivia

Trivia Categories - Science Trivia Questions

What state of matter has a definite shape and volume?

Answer: Solid

What is the center of our solar system, around which all planets, including Earth, revolve?

Answer: The Sun

What is the hot, molten stuff that comes out of volcanoes called?

Answer: Lava

What term describes a community of living organisms and their physical environment interacting together?

Answer: Ecosystem

Which part of a plant helps transport water and nutrients from the roots to other parts of the plant?

Answer: Xylem

What gas do plants take in during photosynthesis and release as a product?

Answer: Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Which planet in our solar system is known for having a ring system?

Answer: Saturn

What is the closest planet to the sun?

Answer: Mercury

What is the process by which plants use sunlight to make their own food?

Answer: Photosynthesis

What is the largest organ in the human body?

Answer: Skin

What is the process by which water changes from a liquid to a gas?

Answer: Evaporation

What is the process by which water changes from a gas to a liquid?

Answer: Condensation

What is the process by which pollen from the male part of a flower fertilizes the female part of the flower to form seeds?

Answer: Pollination

Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”?

Answer: Mars

What is the third planet from the Sun, known for its diverse ecosystems and abundant water?

Answer: Earth

What is the name of the large, circular depressions on the surface of the Moon, caused by the impact of meteoroids?

Answer: Crater

What are the cracks or breaks in the Earth’s crust where tectonic plates meet and cause earthquakes?

Answer: Faults

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Animals

Trivia Categories - Animal Trivia Questions

What is the plural form of the word “deer”?

Answer: Deer.

How many legs does a spider typically have?

Answer: 8.

What is the fastest land animal?

Answer: Cheetah

Who has more tastebuds, humans or dogs?

Answer: Humans (dogs have approximately one-sixth of the taste buds humans have).

What is the name of the small, furry animal that is often kept as a pet and likes to run on a wheel?

Answer: Hamster

What is the name of the large bird that is often kept as a pet and can mimic human speech?

Answer: Parrot

What is the name of the animal that is known for its black and white fur and lives in China?

Answer: Giant panda

What is the name of the animal that is known for its fast heartbeat, colorful feathers, and can fly backwards?

Answer: Hummingbird

What is the name of the animal that is known for its long, sticky tongue and can change the color of its skin?

Answer: Chameleon

What is the name of the animal that is known for its ability to swim and is often called a “sea cow”?

Answer: Manatee

Which type of fish is Nemo?

Answer: A clownfish

What type of animal can live on both water and land?

Answer: Amphibians

What animal species is the only male that gets pregnant?

Answer: Seahorse

Just like humans, this SMALL animal also giggles when tickled. What animal is it?

Answer: The rat

What country is home to more wild tigers than any other country?

Answer: India

What kind of mollusk holds a pearl in its shell?

Answer: An oyster

What type of animal is a penguin?

Answer: A bird

What type of animal is a frog?

Answer: An amphibian

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Geography Trivia Questions

Trivia Categories - Geography Trivia Questions

Which state is located directly east of California?

Answer: Nevada

Which state is located directly west of New York?

Answer: Pennsylvania

Which state is located directly north of Georgia?

Answer: Tennessee

Which state is located directly south of Virginia?

Answer: North Carolina

Which state is located directly east of Oregon?

Answer: Idaho

Which state is located directly west of Vermont?

Answer: New York

Which continent is known as the “Land Down Under”?

Answer: Australia

What is the body of water between Florida and Texas called?

Answer: Gulf of Mexico

What land mass on Earth is known as the “Island Continent”?

Answer: Australia

What is the largest ocean on Earth?

Answer: The Pacific Ocean

Which continent is known for having the largest desert in the world, the Sahara Desert?

Answer: Africa

What is the capital of California?

Answer: Sacramento

What is the capital of Texas?

Answer: Austin

What is the capital of New York?

Answer: Albany

What is the smallest state in the United States by land area?

Answer: Rhode Island

What is the longest river in the United States?

Answer: Missouri River

What is the largest state in the United States by land area?

Answer: Alaska

What is the capital of Colorado?

Answer: Denver

What is the capital of Georgia?

Answer: Atlanta

What is the capital of Massachusetts?

Answer: Boston

What is the largest canyon in the United States?

Answer: Grand Canyon

What is the name of the mountain range that runs along the western edge of the United States?

Answer: Rocky Mountains

Which US state, often called the “Golden State,” has a shape that resembles an elongated rectangle and is famous for its entertainment industry and technology hub?

Answer: California

What is the only US state that consists of a single, unconnected landmass and is located in the Pacific Ocean?

Answer: Hawaii

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Social Studies Trivia

Trivia Categories - History Trivia Questions

Who was the first president of the United States?

Answer: George Washington

Who was President of the United States before Donald Trump?

Answer: Barack Obama

What is President Biden’s first name?

Answer: Joe

What is the introduction to the U.S. Constitution called?

Answer: The Preamble

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants freedom of speech, religion, press, and assembly?

Answer: The First Amendment

Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer: Thomas Jefferson

In which war did the Confederate States and the Union fight against each other?

Answer: The Civil War

Which president is on the penny?

Answer: Abraham Lincoln.

Where in the United States, would you be able to find four presidents’ heads carved into massive rocks?

Answer: Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.

Which president is on the one dollar bill?

Answer: George Washington.

What was the name of the document that declared the 13 American colonies’ independence from Great Britain?

Answer: Declaration of Independence

What was the name of the war fought between the Northern and Southern states of the United States from 1861 to 1865?

Answer: Civil War

What ancient civilization is known for building impressive pyramids along the Nile River?

Answer: Egypt

Why is July 4th called “Independence Day”?

Answer: July 4th is called “Independence Day” because it commemorates the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted, marking the United States’ independence from British rule.

What colors are commonly associated with the 4th of July?

Answer: Red, white, and blue.

What is the national bird of the United States?

Answer: Bald eagle.

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Math Trivia Questions

How many inches are in a foot?

Answer: 12

How many times does 7 divide into 49?

Answer: 7

What is the name of the shape with five sides?

Answer: Pentagon

You peer through a window into a room and count 30 eyes. If each person has a normal number of eyes, how many people are in the room?

Answer: 15

What is the formula for finding the area of a rectangle?

Answer: Length x Width

What unit of measurement is abbreviated “oz”?

Answer: Ounces

What unit of measurement is abbreviated “lb”?

Answer: Pounds

What is the median of the numbers 2, 5, 7, 8, and 9?

Answer: 7

What is the mode of the numbers 2, 2, 3, 4, and 5?

Answer: 2

What is the name of the shape with four sides of equal length and four right angles?

Answer: Square

What is the name of the shape with three sides?

Answer: Triangle

What is the name of the shape with six sides?

Answer: Hexagon

What is the next number in the sequence: 2, 4, 6, 8, ____?

Answer: 10

What is the product of 7 multiplied by 8?

Answer: 56

If a shopping cart contains one apple, two bananas, three oranges, and six hot dogs, what percentage of the cart’s total contents is fruit?

Answer: 50%

5th Grade Trivia Questions: All About Books

Trivia Categories - Books and Literature Trivia Questions

Who wrote the Harry Potter series?

Answer: J.K. Rowling

What is the name of the famous detective in Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels?

Answer: Sherlock Holmes

In “Holes”, what is the name of Stanley’s best friend at Camp Green Lake who helps him survive?

Answer: Zero (Hector Zeroni)

What family curse do the Yelnats believe they have been burdened with for generations?

Answer: The curse of bad luck

What is the name of the protagonist in “The Hunger Games” trilogy?

Answer: Katniss Everdeen

What is the name of the author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”?

Answer: Roald Dahl

What is the name of the main female character in “The Chronicles of Narnia” series?

Answer: Lucy Pevensie

In which country does the story “Esperanza Rising” primarily take place?

Answer: Mexico

After a tragedy strikes her family, what kind of work does Esperanza have to do as a migrant worker in the United States?

Answer: Working in the fields picking crops

In “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White, what is the name of the young pig that is saved by Fern Arable?

Answer: Wilbur

What special ability does Charlotte have that makes her famous among the humans?

Answer: She weaves words into her webs

What does Charlotte write in her web to describe Wilbur, saving him from being slaughtered?

Answer: “Some Pig”

What is the name of the author of “The Cat in the Hat”?

Answer: Dr. Seuss

What is the name of the author of “Little Women”?

Answer: Louisa May Alcott

In “James and The Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl, what are the names of the magical creatures that James meets inside the giant peach?

Answer: Miss Spider, Mr. Grasshopper, Ladybug, Earthworm, and Centipede

Where do James and his newfound friends travel inside the giant peach?

Answer: Across the Atlantic Ocean

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Movies / TV

Trivia Categories - Movie Trivia Questions

What is the name of the space ranger action figure in “Toy Story”?

Answer: Buzz Lightyear

What kind of toy is Hamm in “Toy Story”?

Answer: A piggy bank

In “Toy Story,” what is the name of the boy who owns the toys?

Answer: Andy

What are the names of the two sisters who are the main characters in “Frozen”?

Answer: Anna and Elsa

What is the name of the cute reindeer who is Kristoff’s loyal companion in “Frozen”?

Answer: Sven

5th Grade Trivia Questions: Jokes And Riddles

Joke: Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Answer: Because they make up everything!

Riddle: I have keys but can’t open locks. I have space but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I? Answer: A keyboard.

Joke: What do you call a snowman with a six-pack? Answer: An abdominal snowman!

Riddle: What starts with the letter “t,” ends with the letter “t,” and is full of “t”? Answer: A teapot.

Joke: Why was the math book sad? Answer: Because it had too many problems.

Riddle: What has a heart that doesn’t beat? Answer: An artichoke.

Joke: Why don’t skeletons fight each other? Answer: They don’t have the guts!

Joke: Why don’t some animals play cards in the wild? Answer: Because there are too many cheetahs!

Joke: Why did the scarecrow win an award? Answer: Because he was outstanding in his field!

Riddle: I start with the letter e, I end with the letter e. I contain only one letter, what am I? Answer: Envelope.

Joke: What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Answer: Nothing, they just waved!

Best Trivia Games of 2024

Can’t get enough of the trivia goodness? Neither can we. If you’re looking for trivia games to play with friends/family, here are our favorite trivia board games on the market this year!

GENSMAK! Fun for All Generations – Trivia Game

Best for ALL AGES!

Choose to answer questions from categories like Gen Z, Millenial, Gen X, Boomer, and more!

Dynamic gameplay with questions that vary by generation, category, and difficulty level.

2 to 12 players | Includes 500 trivia questions

Buy On Amazon

Ultimate Pub Trivia

Best for parties

1,100 questions covering 6 different categories

Host your own pub-style trivia nights

4 or more players | Ages 12 and up

Buy On Amazon

Anomia Party Edition

Best for Fast-Paced fun

A very popular card game for families, teens and adults!

Fast-paced friendly competition and laugh-til-you cry kind of fun

3-6 players | Ages 10+

Buy On Amazon

…I should have known that! Trivia Game

Best for Trivia on the go

110 cards with 400+ questions

Instead of points for answering questions right, points are subtracted for every wrong answer

Players 2+ | Ages 14+

Buy On Amazon

And that about wraps up today’s trivia post! So, did you enjoy this 5th grade trivia quiz? Who did better, your 5th grader or the adults??? Let us know in the comments!

If you enjoyed reading this article, check out some of our other trivia topics and quizzes that the kids are sure to love: