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!


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

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    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

    Panda - Land of Trivia Trivia Questions

    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

    Alaska - Land Of Trivia

    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

    Oahu 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

    What is the real name of the main Spider-Man in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”?

    Answer: Miles Morales

    What is the name of the supervillain who eventually becomes a loving father to three orphan girls in “Despicable Me”?

    Answer: Gru

    What are the names of Gru’s three adopted daughters in “Despicable Me”?

    Answer: Margo, Edith, and Agnes

    What is the name of the rival villain who competes with Gru in the first “Despicable Me” movie?

    Answer: Vector

    What type of animal is King Julien in “Madagascar”?

    Answer: A lemur

    What movie is about an alien named Oh who teams up with a human girl named Tip to save Earth?

    Answer: “Home”

    What movie is about an elderly man who sets out on a journey to fulfill his lifelong dream of traveling to South America with his house attached to helium balloons?

    Answer: “Up”

    What movie is about a 13-year-old girl who turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited?

    Answer: “Turning Red”

    What is the name of the robot that WALL-E falls in love with?

    Answer: EVE

    In “Moana,” what is the name of the demigod who joins Moana on her journey?

    Answer: Maui

    What is the name of Moana’s pet rooster in “Moana”?

    Answer: Heihei

    Which oceanic figure gives Moana the heart of Te Fiti in “Moana”?

    Answer: Her grandmother Tala

    Which house does Harry Potter belong to at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?

    Answer: Gryffindor

    What is the name of Harry’s best friends, who are always by his side during his adventures?

    Answer: Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger

    What are the names of the superhero parents in “The Incredibles”?

    Answer: Mr. Incredible (Bob) and Elastigirl (Helen)

    What is the name of the superhero daughter in “The Incredibles,” who has the ability to become invisible?

    Answer: Violet

    What is the name of the island where Hiccup and the Vikings live in “How to Train Your Dragon”?

    Answer: Berk

    In “How to Train Your Dragon,” what type of dragon is Toothless?

    Answer: Night Fury

    What is the name of Ash’s first Pokémon, who is a loyal and brave Pokémon?

    Answer: Pikachu

    Which Pokémon evolves from Charmander and is known for its fiery tail?

    Answer: Charizard

    What is the name of the Pokémon organization led by Team Rocket’s Jessie, James, and Meowth?

    Answer: Team Rocket

    How many sisters does Lincoln Loud have in “The Loud House”?

    Answer: 10

    What is the name of the fast-food restaurant where SpongeBob works?

    Answer: The Krusty Krab

    What is the name of SpongeBob’s grumpy neighbor who lives in a moai-shaped house?

    Answer: Squidward Tentacles

    What is the name of the magical creature that gives Marinette and Adrien their powers in “Miraculous”?

    Answer: Tikki and Plagg

    What is the name of the city where “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” takes place?

    Answer: Paris

    What is the name of Finn’s loyal and magical dog companion in “Adventure Time”?

    Answer: Jake the Dog

    What is the name of the candy ruler of the Candy Kingdom in “Adventure Time”?

    Answer: Princess Bubblegum

    In “Adventure Time,” what is the name of the Ice King’s princess obsession who has freezing powers?

    Answer: Princess Elsa

    What is the name of the main character and leader of the ninjas in “Ninjago”?

    Answer: Kai

    In “Ninjago,” what are the names of the four other ninja teammates who fight against evil forces?

    Answer: Jay, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd

    In “Paw Patrol,” what is the name of the tech-savvy pup who drives a recycling truck?

    Answer: Rocky

    What is the name of the construction pup in “Paw Patrol,” who operates a bulldozer?

    Answer: Rubble


    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!

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      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!

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      Elle Liang

      Elle is a travel blogger and entertainment publisher by day and a trivia fanatic by night. Her favorite hobbies include hiking mountains, traveling anywhere in the world, watching documentaries, playing bingo, and brushing up on world knowledge through games like Trivial Pursuit.

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