The Ice Bucket Challenge (2014 revived in 2020)
In this educational and awareness challenge, participants poured buckets of ice water over themselves and challenged others to do the same to raise awareness of ALS. It, however, was made fun as many participants had humorous expressions plastered over their faces as soon as the cold water touched their skin
This challenge is very similar to old-fashioned charity events, blending fun with philanthropy while attracting celebrity characters into the mix. Celebrities like Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey participated, significantly widening the reach and viral nature of this challenge. Not only was the challenge viral but millions of dollars were successfully raised for ALS research. Talk about social media leading to a positive outcome.
The Buss It Challenge (2021)
If there’s one thing TikTok can show, it’s the transitions from basic to drop-dead gorgeous. This particular challenge has people starting in casual clothes, showing their basic state. They then transition to a glamorous look, dancing to Erica Banks' "Buss It" song.
The dramatic transformation and catchy beat make it both visually appealing and engaging, allowing users to flaunt their versatile styles. Celebrities known for their amazing style, like Teyana Taylor, participated, and many users were even more willing to show their transformations after this. If this transformation challenge has you excited, check out the next one.
The Silhouette Challenge (2021)
You know the challenge is lit when Celebrities like Chloe Bailey and Janelle Monáe join in. The Silhouette challenge, showcasing body positivity and encouraging creativity, had the internet ablaze for a while.
In this challenge, Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” plays in the background and the people who take up the challenge are posed in a doorway, first in casual clothing, then transitioning to a sultry silhouette against a red background. Fun right?
Flip the Switch Challenge (2020)
This hilarious challenge is probably the first time so many men voluntarily agreed to wear their partners’ dresses, makeup, and jewelry. Participants would dance in front of a mirror, and at the beat drop of Drake's "Nonstop" song, they would switch places and outfits with someone else (usually people of the opposite sex). Hilarious Right?
The humor and unpredictability around this challenge made it extremely viral attracting celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez to create memorable versions of this funny challenge.
The Don't Rush Challenge (2020)
Talking about make-up transitions, this challenge has girls all over the world showing their make-up abilities as well as their glammed looks, and we must say, everyone looks very good in this challenge. Participants initially show up with a no-makeup look, and as they pass an object (usually a makeup brush) to the camera, they transition to a glamorous jaw-dropping look.
Similar to a runway show, the challenge highlighted the art of fashion and personal style. This challenge is also an example of self-expressive and transformative creativity. If you haven’t tried it out, don’t spoil the fun, it’s not too late to join in.
Savage Challenge (2020)
The next challenge, which emanates from Megan Thee Stallion's song "Savage," took the world by storm, exposing participants' wild, naughty, and fun side all at once. Many people got creative and expressive with the lyrics of this popular icon’s song and tailored their dance routines.
The challenge also allowed for friendly competition as many makeup artists got hooked on it, showing their talent and capabilities to the song. Many celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, even jumped onto this trend, making it fun and even more popular. Additionally, Megan Thee Stallion herself participated in the challenge. After all, the challenge did nothing short of making her song sales boost.
The Pass the Brush Challenge (2020)
Still on the trend of make-up challenges, this challenge is also one of the most viral make-up challenges on TikTok. By allowing friends and different communities to collaborate and engage with each other, users would pass a makeup brush to each other, revealing different looks in the process.
It also reflects on the importance of teamwork and coordination for an amazing outcome. Besides that, it also allows for inclusivity and appreciation of different types of beauty in the process, making it more appealing thus the challenge being viral. Many known artists, including Nikkie Tutorials, participated in this challenge.
The Blinding Lights Challenge (2020)
This challenge takes us back to the 80s when discos were a thing. Nostalgic Right? The Weekend’s hit song "Blinding Lights," saw different individuals and groups making choreographed dance routines to match the upbeat tempo and catchy melody.
Despite its resemblance to the 80s classic dance groups, this challenge also adds a spoonful of a modernized version of the nostalgic times. Even “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” crew members had to join in this viral sensation.
Renegade Dance Challenge (2020)
If you’re into choreographed dance routines, you probably took part in this very viral dance challenge which was initially performed by Jalaiah Harmon to K Camp’s song (Lottery). When this challenge started, it gave the feel of modern-day flash mobs where spontaneous group performances take over public spaces.
The very catchy and energy-ridden choreography routine saw thousands of people joining in, including celebrities like Lizzo and Justin Bieber. Not only was this challenge viral, but it fostered a sense of community among participants during the COVID era, making it even more likable.
Challenge Accepted, Challenge (2020)
When we talk about viral women empowerment challenges, this one comes to mind. It echoed the spirit of historical movements for women's rights, creating a visual impact. The challenge showcases users posting black-and-white selfies of themselves to promote female empowerment and solidarity, often tagging friends to do the same.
Although very simple, the traction that this challenge had was so great that it became viral. It was also easy for everyone to participate, fostering a sense of community among women, including celebrities like Naomi Campbell, serving to amplify the message among diverse communities.
The Savage Love Challenge (2020)
Jason Derulo's song “Savage Love” set the internet ablaze and of course, TikTok Challenges had to be made. The catchy tune, paired with fun choreography, made everyone want to participate in this dance routine.
Jason Derulo himself participated, encouraging fans to join in. The challenge also sparked numerous remixes and variations, encouraging creativity in participants.
The Tell Me Without Telling Me Challenge (2021)
This blend of twisted and sarcastic humor sparked clever storytelling on the internet. Users had to reveal something about themselves without explicitly stating it thus encouraging creativity among participants.
The challenge is similar to riddles where indirect communication serves as the primary communication. The next time someone is annoyingly indirect to you, remember that they may have just been late to the challenge by a few years.
The Couples Challenge (2021)
Love was definitely in the air with this viral couple’s challenge. In this challenge, different couples showcased their relationships through fun videos, often using specific questions as the basis of their challenge. This challenge is the perfect example of couples rubbing off their chemistry in front of the singles.
Couples like Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian participated in this, making it a viral challenge. If, by any chance, you skipped this challenge because you were single back then, then it’s never too late for you to show off your partner now, using this trend; it's known as being fashionably late.
The Hitchhiker Challenge (2021)
Being a pedestrian was never celebrated as much before this viral 2021 challenge where participants created humorous videos pretending to hitchhike, often using exaggerated gestures for an extra touch of fun.
This challenge echoed classic road trip movies, where hitchhiking is a common thing. The most fun participants for this challenge are duets a groups of people who decided to collaborate just to make the world laugh a little harder
The Foot Loose Challenge (2021)
Inspired by the classic movie ‘Footloose’, in this challenge, users danced to the song "Footloose," often incorporating iconic moves from the film. This celebration of an all-time classic favourite brings in a nostalgic feeling that was openly celebrated by different generations
Besides being fun and bringing out the old man in everyone, the challenge also led to remixes and mashups of the song. Thus allowing creativity to be the rage on social media.
The Fyp Challenge (2021)
If you were never good at lip-syncing, then this challenge probably passed you by. By using popular sounds and voices, participants of these challenges added their videos, trying to capture what the sound means to them or how the sound can be funnier than it was initially anticipated. The common hashtag attached to these videos is ‘#fyp’ meaning ‘for You Page’.
What made this challenge viral was the experimentation by users with different sounds as well as the tag. It is also a friendly competition as the TikTok community was excited to see whose videos would trend the most. A lot of unconventional TikTokers rose due to this challenge.
The Jiggle Challenge (2021)
In this viral challenge, Participants showcased their dance moves while emphasizing body positivity, often accompanied by fun and trendy music. It promoted self-love and confidence, encouraging users to embrace their bodies and have fun while doing it by incorporating dance moves.
All body types were celebrated, and popular body positivity activists like Lizzo joined in the trend. The challenge fostered a supportive community, with many users sharing their journeys towards body acceptance as well as their struggles getting there.
The Sassy Challenge (2021)
The humorous take on sassiness in this challenge resonated with many viewers and because of this, this challenge was an instant high. Participants mimicked different sassy characters and their attitudes, often lip-syncing to popular phrases for this challenge.
It resembled classic sitcom characters known for their sharp wit and humor, enhancing the pool of viewers and participants. Various TikTok influencers and comedians joined in, sparking endless creativity among people.
The Bored in The House Challenge (2020)
Let’s face it: home is sweet, but not when you are cooped there and forced to stay indoors, just as the COVID pandemic did. Due to the excessive idleness, this challenge trended as people showcased how they were creatively passing their time through skits or DIY projects.
It echoed the resourcefulness of people during difficult times, and because many celebrities also jumped onto the challenge, it brought a sense of unity in times when turmoil was hitting. It is safe to say that this challenge kept people sane during the harsh lockdown environment.
The Pillow Challenge (2020)
TikTok can be a little crazy sometimes and we may find ourselves evoking our inner child as with this challenge where users styled their pillows as a dress, posing in creative ways to showcase their fashion sense. This goes well with the creativity associated with the Fashion world.
This stunt was a way of pushing the traditional boundaries of fashion while giving every participant to get creative with their clothes. If you never thought a dressed-up pillow could glam up, trust TikTok to have you thinking otherwise.
The Bing Bong Challenge (2021)
The same way the name of the challenge is so silly is the same humor surrounding the challenge itself. Users would shout the phrase “Bing Bong!" and capture funny reactions. All this was inspired by a viral TikTok video of someone who did the same, attracting others to join the trend.
Many memes emanated from this challenge as the spontaneity of the challenge had people making naturally funny reactions. People revamped the first video and made several versions of classic humor, taking the internet by a humorous storm. This is a classic example of how seemingly simple things tend to trend a lot on TikTok.
The Dance Your Feelings Challenge (2020)
There’s no denying the emotions that music can evoke in people. In this challenge, people were able to express their emotions by dancing to express them. Specific emotion-evoking songs were played in the background while participants danced to mimic the emotions they were feeling.
It mirrored dance therapy practices, where movement is used as a form of emotional expression. Due to this, the challenge sparked conversations about mental health and the importance of expressing feelings.
SpongeBob Challenge (2021)
Regardless of how old people may be now, let’s all admit that a good episode of SpongeBob is still very comical for us. This was the case with this challenge as people recreated scenes from the famous sequence, adding humor to it. This went viral as thousands of people hopped onto the challenge, mimicking their favorite scenes.
The nostalgia and humor associated with the beloved show made it a hit among fans of all ages, resembling the way classic cartoons create lasting impressions on people. Celebrities like Gabriella Union and Kylie Jenner also added their interesting take on the cartoon, igniting a ‘SpongeBob’ season on TikTok.
The Wipe It Down Challenge (2020)
The song "Wipe It Down" by BMW Kenny brought about a creative challenge on TikTok where people would wipe a mirror to reveal different looks, characters, and faces as a way of creative art. The element of surprise and transformation made it visually captivating and entertaining.
This challenge mimics a magician’s reveal, where the unexpected adds excitement and a fun take to the challenge. Make-up artists like Nikita Dragun added some magic to this challenge through the beautiful makeup transitions she showcased, making her gain a lot of traction and go even more viral.
The Cereal Challenge (2021)
Trust TikTok to make something as generic as cereal to trend. In this challenge, participants would pour cereal into their mouths from a distance, often creating humorous and messy results.
This challenge is a mirror of the silly games that you probably played as a child when you had friends over or with your siblings. Who knew that cereals would ever trend? TikTok probably did.
The No Mirror Challenge (2021)
Something as cheap as a mirror can be underrated but this challenge showed people how this item is an essential item when it comes to everyday use. Several people who participated in this challenge would attempt everyday tasks like doing makeup without using a mirror and you can probably imagine the mess and humor involved in the challenge.
It mirrored the classic "try not to laugh" challenges, where the goal is to control one’s reactions regardless of how hard they may be. The challenge encouraged viewers to embrace imperfections, promoting a light-hearted approach to everyday activities making it both fun and empowering.
What You Know About Love Challenge (2021)
The unexpected love disasters that were shown and played in the song “What You Know About Love" by Pop Smoke will have you reconsidering your conventional view of what love is. This challenge through the incorporation of lip-syncing and storytelling resonated with many, creating emotional connections on different takes people had on love due to their experiences
Influencers and music artists participated, enhancing the challenge's reach and opening discussions on love as well as what it entailed in real-life relatable circumstances.
The Ballet Challenge (2021)
This challenge saw celebrity ballet lovers like Addison Rae, dancing away and showcasing their skills in their ballet dancing. It also involved several comic characters showing their take on ballet in humorous ways.
The elegance of ballet combined with playful interpretations made it entertaining and visually appealing. The challenge, besides the comical take, encouraged viewers to appreciate the art of dance, promoting interest in ballet by many youngsters.
Home Workout Challenge (2020)
With going to the gym becoming harder during the COVID era, people took to TikTok to share their workout routines and to motivate other people interested in body health content. The challenge promoted fitness and health, encouraging users to stay active while having fun during the hard pandemic era.
Fitness influencers and celebrities like Dwayne Johnson shared their routines, inspiring followers to continue working out at home and to stay motivated despite any underlying circumstances. This fostered a sense of community, with users supporting each other’s fitness journeys while remaining body-positive.
In My Feelings Challenge (2021)
This challenge emanates from Drake's song ‘In My Feelings’. The innovation of this challenge was participants dancing alongside a moving car to the song, dancing funnily and humorously that had it trending and viral.
This challenge saw several people debating on the safety of the whole ‘dancing while the car is moving’ aspect of the challenge, ending in teachings on responsibility and the possibility of people being harmed due to their need to trend on social media. Celebrities like Will Smith participated in this challenge helping the song to trend.