The Best Instagram Challenges of 2020

Early admission deadlines for this college season are officially over! If you were one of the early birds, congratulations on this huge accomplishment. Applying to college is no easy feat- and now your brain deserves a much-needed vacation. What better way to celebrate than doing some fun, at-home friendly challenges? If you’re applying to college through regular decision, I still suggest that you allow yourself some last-minute fun before cracking down on the serious business. Perhaps successfully finishing these challenges will bring you the energy you’ll need for the final stretch of college applications! Below are the top 10 Instagram challenges that anyone can easily do. They don’t require much time or effort… just an Instagram account. After finishing each activity, make sure to share it with the included hashtag!

1. #30DaySongChallenge

What’s better than music? Sharing your opinions about music! For 30 consecutive days, post the image below on your feed or story after you’ve answered the given daily prompt. For extra points, include the song with your post! This challenge from @kronos_quartet is fun!


2. #MeatlessMonday

Going vegetarian or even vegan is becoming more popular than ever. And rightfully so; the benefits of living the meatless lifestyle are numerous, not only for the animals, but also the environment and your own health! In fact, a vegetarian diet lowers both your risk of developing health issues like high cholesterol, heart disease and obesity as well water usage by approximately 219,000 gallons of water a year.
However, if you can’t commit today to eliminate your love of chicken tenders, you can still help by trying to go meatless on each Monday of the week. Simply look up “meatless meal recipes” and you’re sure to find thousands of different recipes guaranteed to make your mouth water, like this one from @livinlaveganlife.

And when you finish making it, capture your amazing cooking skills and share it with the #MeatlessMonday hashtag!

3. #MotivationMonday

Who doesn’t need a little extra motivation on a Monday? What better way to empower yourself and others for the week ahead than by the power of words? Simply look up this hashtag on Instagram or another platform, screenshot the saying that energizes you the most, then spread it using the hashtag to create a cycle of empowerment! Here’s a nice #MotivationMonday Instagram post from @mindofhabit.


4. #Quoteoftheday

The world always needs some positivity; but during these times, we need it more than ever. This is a super easy way to put a smile on someone else’s face; just look up a quote that inspires you or spreads a message that aligns with your values, screenshot it, and share it with the world on Instagram with the hashtag #quoteoftheday. You never know who needs to see it! Like this post from @gomcgill.


5. #DalgonaCoffeeChallenge

Calling all coffee-lovers! This super Instagram-worthy DIY drink is one of the trendiest sources of caffeine this year. Hundreds of thousands of people across all social media platforms are attempting to create the Dalgona coffee drink like this one from @thecookingfoodie.

The good news is that it’s fairly simple and easy to make- all you need is water, white sugar, matcha powder, eggs or heavy whipping cream, and milk (full recipe is just a Google search away). The bad news is that it looks too good to eat! You’ll definitely want to impress your friends by posting a photo of it on your feed once you're done.

6. #BingoChallengeInstagram

Here’s another fun challenge from @aakruti.rjy: post the photo below to your feed or story on Instagram and type your answer to the prompts next to each box.

Unlike the 30-day song challenge, you can complete all the boxes at once if you'd like! If you enjoy this “bingo” sheet, you can find plenty more by typing in the hashtag on Instagram.

7. #365gratefulproject

Sometimes we all need to step back from life and realize that through all the chaos, there is always something to be thankful for. While negative or stressful occurrences will always be present, positivity can always be found as well. Use the hashtag to share what you feel grateful for today and remember: we get to choose what we focus our energy upon. This post from @miche7777 is a wonderful example of gratefulness.


8. #DearSanta

Thanksgiving has yet to arrive, but it’s never too early to get into the holiday spirit! For that matter, it’s never too late to write a letter to Santa Claus either. Post a festive picture to your feed with the hashtag and write what you wish to say to Santa in the caption; it doesn’t necessarily have to be for what you hope to receive for the holidays. Make it funny, thoughtful or clever… it’s up to you! This post from @fosterthedoodle is an adorable example.


9. #MentalHealthAwareness

Everyone knows that physical health is important…but something often overlooked, and equally important, is mental health. During the uncertainty of 2020, is it more essential than ever to prioritize your mental state. Although Mental Health Awareness Month was in May, it is always time to remind others to take care of their mental health! Use the hashtag like this post from @healingfromptsd, to let others know that they are not alone in their struggles.


10. #PlantYourChange

Last, but definitely not least, this hashtag spreads more than just awareness. PlantYourChange.com is an initiative by @aspiration that connects to your credit or debit card and automatically rounds up each purchase you make, donating the proceeds to reforestation. Check out Leonardo DiCaprio’s #PlantYourChange Instagram post! Once you sign up through the website, you can earn back money after you’ve planted a certain number of trees! Even if you don’t have a credit or debit card, you can always spread this cause to friends and family through the hashtag!

Social media can actually be a good thing- its influence is in our power.

Hopefully, the completion of these Instagram challenges takes your mind off of the tumultuous times we are in and hopefully they help others as well. While we can’t control what happens, we control how we perceive and respond to it. If you enjoy these challenges, there are plenty of other challenges that you can do, and you can even start your own if you want!