John Key takes part in the mannequin challenge

Michelle Obama and Le Bron James have done it and now Prime Minister John Key has joined in the latest social media craze: the mannequin challenge.

Key took on the Mannequin Challenge in the middle of a table tennis game while visiting the QRC Tai Tokerau Resort College in Northland.

The hospitality training college put the video on YouTube and noted he was "a good sport."

The craze started in the US High Schools in October and has exploded since then. It involves people freezing like a mannequin while music is usually played in the background.

In terms of social media trends, Key is leaving Labour leader Andrew Little in the dust.

Key's record includes sharing in son Max's planking skills, the Gangnam Style dance, and the derp face.

Little showed early promise with his Gangnam Style dance in Parliament - and showed more rhythm than Key. But he has done little else embarrassing since then.

Key's new mannequin habit does deliver an opportunity for Little however, who is languishing in the polls behind Key - a still target is easier to catch.