There were 5 children in a room. Iris drew a picture, Barry played video games, Andrew played chess, and Trina read a book. What is the fifth child, Mindy, doing?

Why this works

This riddle plays on the assumption that each child is engaged in a solitary activity, but actually, Andrew is playing chess, which requires two players. Since the riddle specifies that there are five children, it implies that Mindy must be the other participant in Andrew's game of chess. By cleverly presenting the activities of the other children, the riddle leads you to overlook the necessity of a partner for chess, making the answer both surprising and satisfying!