Who invented toilets and who was first to go around the world? The kids’ quiz

. UK edition

Illustration of a toilet with wooden seat against white background

Five multiple-choice questions – set by children – to test your knowledge, and a chance to submit your own junior brainteasers for future quizzes​

  1. Emi, 7, asks: who invented toilets?

    1. Archimedes

    2. Sir John Harington

    3. Beatrix Potter

    4. Prince Albert

  2. Rosie, 6, asks: who was the first person to travel around the world?

    1. Amelia Earhart

    2. Sir Francis Drake

    3. Genghis Khan

    4. The crew of the ship Victoria

  3. Billy, 5, asks: how could a mosasaurus eat so much food in one go?

    1. They invented and used knives and forks

    2. They had three separate mouths

    3. They had loosely joined bones that could flex

    4. They liquidised their food in their mouths

  4. Finn, 11, asks: how many muscles are there in a dog’s face?

    1. Around 20

    2. Around 40

    3. Around 80

    4. More than 100

  5. Alexis, 11, asks: why do people in Britain drive on the left-hand side of the road?

    1. To keep their right hand free for sword fighting

    2. Britain made cars with the engine on the left-hand side, so that if they broke down, the drivers could safely make repairs

    3. The petrol caps were on the left-hand side of the cars

    4. Nobody knows!

Solutions

1:B - Sir John Harington was the godson of Queen Elizabeth I. He is widely credited to be the inventor of the flush toilet in the 16th century. He was also a writer, poet and courtier., 2:D - The Victoria’s voyage was a tumultuous journey, from 1519-1522, as it circumnavigated the globe. Tragedies occurred and several of the crew, including the captain, had to be replaced. They set out with five ships and around 250 men, and returned with the Victoria and 18 of the crew., 3:C - The mosasaurus had highly flexible and loose bones, especially in the jaw. This meant they could open their mouths very wide!, 4:A - The average dog has about 20 independent muscles in their face, though this can vary depending on the type of dog. These interact with the skin to make for effective communication., 5:A - The historical reason is that most people used swords with their right hand. Sticking to the left-hand side of the road meant that they could easily retrieve their weapon in situations when it was needed and use it against an opponent on the other side of the road.

Scores

  1. 5 and above.

  2. 4 and above.

  3. 3 and above.

  4. 2 and above.

  5. 0 and above.

  6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.