The Milk Crate Challenge is the latest dangerous internet challenge

Don't do it.
 By 
Elena Cavender
 on 
The Milk Crate Challenge is the latest dangerous internet challenge
Step aside Tide Pods, there is a new dangerous internet challenge. Credit: Shutterstock / Steele S

The Olympics may be over, but our thirst for watching people test their strength and agility apparently has not been quenched.

The #cratechallenge is the latest viral internet challenge and the latest way to get seriously injured. Seriously, don't try this at home.

The milk crate challenge has participants scale milk crates stacked like a mountain with a seven milk crate-tall peak. While seven milk crates may not sound very tall, this challenge leads to very spectacular falls.


You May Also Like

Not only do participants in the challenge topple onto the ground beneath them, but they often hit all the crates on their way down! Watching these videos is not for the faint of heart.

Participating in this challenge is an easy way to go viral, the hashtag #cratechallenge had over 75 million views on TikTok before the app disabled it through search. However, there are still videos all over TikTok and other social media apps like Twitter and Instagram.

TikTok user @juiceellison posted multiple videos of people participating in the milk crate challenge in a park. As in almost all the milk crate challenge videos, his videos show people delicately climbing up the milk crates before they inevitably fall.

This video has over 240,000 views and over 8,000 likes. Credit: screenshot: tiktok / juiceellison
Ouch! Credit: screenshot: tiktok / juiceellison

Don't get any ideas, but there have been a couple of successful milk crate challenges. The most iconic being a woman who successfully completed the challenge in heels.

The milk crate challenge is not only a spectacle on the internet, but has drawn in-person crowds. On Monday night there was a milk crate challenge gathering at Sara D. Roosevelt Park in Manhattan which drew a crowd of around 100 people according to attendee Nate Bradley.

Bradley, a 21-year-old NYU student, heard about the event through word of mouth and said it was mostly young skater kids and college-aged adults in the crowd. "Everyone was super excited and into it, they would hype people up crazy when they made it," Bradley told Mashable over Instagram DM.

"Whenever someone fell everyone would look away a bit but then laugh it off and make someone else go up," continued Bradley.

Watching these videos leaves us with a lot of questions, but we are mostly asking why participate and where are you getting all the milk crates?

UPDATE: Aug. 24, 2021, 4:01 p.m. EDT Update with quotes from Bradley.

Mashable Image
Elena Cavender

Elena is a tech reporter and the resident Gen Z expert at Mashable. She covers TikTok and digital trends. She recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in American History. Email her at [email protected] or follow her @ecaviar_.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
OpenAI explains how its AI agents avoid malicious links and prompt injection
OpenAI logo on phone screen

'The Daily Show' reacts to Trump's ICE shooting response
Ronny Chieng presents "The Daily Show."

Character.AI settles lawsuits related to teen deaths
App logo of Character.AI displayed on a phone.

Lawsuit against Elon Musk threatens DOGE actions, survives early court challenge
Elon Musk and Donald Trump

Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney has the internet in a chokehold
Paul McCartney on September 9, 1963

More in Life
How to watch Chelsea vs. Port Vale online for free
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts

How to watch 'Wuthering Heights' at home: Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's controversial romance now streaming
Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi embracing in still from "Wuthering Heights"

How to watch New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers online for free
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders warms up

How to watch Mexico vs. Belgium online for free
Israel Reyes of Mexico reacts

How to watch Brazil vs. Croatia online for free
Vinicius Junior #10 of Brazil leaves

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!