How to Play Ding-Dong Ditch (And Get Away with It)

The modern guide to a classic children’s game

Ding-dong ditch, also known as knock-down ginger or knock-a-door run, can be a fun way to spend an evening. The idea is simple: ring somebody's doorbell, run away, and hide before they open the door. When the person opens the door, expecting to see a visitor, they will be puzzled to find the porch empty. In this article, we’ll show you how pull off one of the oldest pranks in the book and get away with it!

Warning: Ding-dong ditching is illegal, and it can be dangerous if you accidentally aggravate a stranger who overreacts. As a result, you should only play ding-dong ditch if you're pranking a friend who's family you know well. You should never prank anyone if you're not 100% sure they'll respond positively.

Things You Should Know

  • Gather a crew and pick a mutual friend as your target. Choose a time to ring their bell when they’ll be home and awake.
  • Creep up to your target’s door, ring the doorbell or knock on the door, then take off to hide and watch the reaction.
  • For added effect, hit the same house 2-3 times to really drive your friend up the wall.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Planning the Prank

  1. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 1
    1
    Get some friends together. The fewer people you bring, the easier it will be to run away and hide without getting caught. However, big groups are fun, too. Go on foot or bring bicycles for a quick getaway. You can all go in a car, if you have access to one, but make sure that you don't park it right in front of the target's house. With a group, you’ll knock, run, and hide together.[1]
    • Don’t peer pressure anyone to do this with you.
  2. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 2
    2
    Pick a house to ding-dong ditch. Target someone that you know won’t take this the wrong way. Ideally, choose a friend who enjoys a good prank and whose family you also know well. Make sure that they’re home. Pick a house that's easily accessible.[2]
    • Strangers may overreact to this, so never ding-dong ditch random homes.
    • Be aware that your friend's parents might open the door instead of your friend. If you want to be sure that your friend answers the door, pick a time when your friend is home alone without their parents.
    • If the house doesn’t have a doorbell, you can knock on the door instead.
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  3. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 3
    3
    Plan your escape route. The most important part of the game is arguably the “ditch” part. Scope out the house from a distance and decide which way you're going to run after ringing the bell or knocking. The exact route will depend on the house, the time of day, and the number of people. If you don't plan it out, then there's a higher chance that someone will get caught. When you get away scot-free, that means you can message your friend later to reveal your prank—hilarious![3]
    • You can use a car or bikes to get away faster. It will almost always be easier to get away at night, but don’t do this so late that you’re going to wake anybody up.
    • If you're playing with only 1-2 other people, it’s more effective to all run in the same direction. This way, you can stick together and hide in a secure space.
    • If you have a lot of people in your crew and don't want your friend to catch everyone, then you might want to scatter after each ding-dong ditch.
  4. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 4
    4
    Find a hiding spot. Scout out a secretive spot where you can see the reaction of your friend after you ding-dong ditch. Pick a space that is far enough away to avoid detection, but not so far that you that you can't clearly see the doorbell your pal's reaction. Hide in the bushes, a tree, or behind a parked car.[4]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Ringing the Doorbell

  1. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 5
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    Decide who is going to ring the doorbell. Usually, someone will step up to do it. Switch off at every house to make sure that it's fair. The person who actually rings the doorbell is taking on the most risk, but that's also a lot of the fun! Everyone else can wait at the car or hiding spot.[5]
    • Warm up beforehand if you’re running. Some stretches or a little jogging could help the person get ready to run away quickly.
  2. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 6
    2
    Ring the doorbell. Have the ringer creep up to the door and ring the doorbell. Ring the doorbell once, casually, for a subtle ding-dong ditch. Keep in mind that the prank may be more effective if the person actually thinks that there is someone at the door.[6]
    • Knock if there is no doorbell. Don't hammer obnoxiously on the door. Knock like you're a visitor or a delivery person so that the owners of the doorbell think there's actually someone there.
  3. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 7
    3
    Run away from the door. Start running as soon as you ring the bell. The longer you wait, the more likely you are to get caught by your friend. Regroup at the hiding spot if you want to see the person's reaction. If you're worried about getting caught, then just run to safety.[7]
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Variations and Tips

  1. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 8
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    Ring the same doorbell multiple times for added effect. If you want to really seriously prank someone, wait until the friend you’re pranking closes the door to go back inside. Then, sneak back up to the door and ring the bell again—even more obnoxiously this time![8]
    • Do not be malicious. At some point, you're friend could definitely get tired of your tricks, and your prank will be more malicious than funny. And remember, you're disturbing everyone in the house, not just your friend.
  2. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 9
    2
    Choose more houses to prank. Once you're satisfied with your ding-dong ditch on the first house, move to a different street and locate your next target. Pick another friend or another person you know. Bike, walk, or drive to the next location and repeat your procedure. Have fun, but don't be careless! If you let your guard down, then you might get caught by your friend.[9]
    • On one hand, it's easier to get from house to house if you stay within a single neighborhood or a few blocks. However, if you hop around a wider area, you and your friends will be harder to track down.
  3. Image titled Play 'Ding Dong Ditch' Step 10
    3
    Don't harass anyone and know where the line is. Remember that this game is all in good fun. Ding-dong ditch can bring you and your friends together, but it also impacts the lives of the people whose doorbells you ring. Have a good time, but don't get too carried away.[10]
    • If you take it too far, then you might damage friendships. And if you choose a stranger or a poor target, you could get into big trouble, get the police called on you, or even risk your own safety.
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    4
    Make a plan for if you get caught. If you were careful about who you chose to ding-dong ditch, then none of your targets will be mad about your prank. However, if you still went on with your plan to prank a stranger, apologize when you get caught. It’s almost always easier to say sorry and beg for forgiveness than it is to try and lie your way out of consequences. This way, you'll be much less likely to get into big trouble.[11]
    • If you get caught in the act by your friend's parents or a neighbor, say sorry. This is when you should apologize and say, "We were just trying to play a dumb prank. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What if the doorbell has a camera?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Do not ring that doorbell, or pretend to be a "visitor." To be on the safe side, stay away from camera doorbells.
  • Question
    What should I do if I'm hiding and person begins to scan the area?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Stay where you are, and wait until they leave. If you are close to your escape route, then wait until the person's back is turned before running for it.
  • Question
    What should I do if I'm caught by the police when playing Ding Dong Ditch?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Just be honest and explain that you were playing a game. It would be a good idea to offer a sincere apology too.
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Warnings

  • The “burning bag of poop” gag may be funny on TV or in a movie, but it’s not safe to do this one IRL. You could end up damaging someone’s house or burning the person trying to put it out. Skip this one.[12]
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Ding-dong ditching is actually illegal. Most states and countries treat it as trespassing since you aren’t ringing the bell for a good reason, although you may also be charged with disturbing the peace if you’re caught.[13]
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
  • Even if you think it’s funny, a lot of adults won’t. Only play this prank on a friend when you know they’re home.[14]
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/local-news/ding-dong-ditchers-get-caught-punished-and-praised/
  2. ↑ https://www.wdrb.com/news/update-jeffersontown-police-say-they-have-identified-ding-dong-ditch/article_adba79b7-50d6-5c62-a1b8-44230865b3dd.html
  3. ↑ https://professionalmoron.com/2022/04/18/history-of-knock-knock-ginger/
  4. ↑ https://professionalmoron.com/2022/04/18/history-of-knock-knock-ginger/
  5. ↑ https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/local-news/ding-dong-ditchers-get-caught-punished-and-praised/
  6. ↑ https://people.com/crime/ding-dong-ditch-prank-killings-california-parents-forgive-suspect/
  7. ↑ https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/local-news/ding-dong-ditchers-get-caught-punished-and-praised/
  8. ↑ https://professionalmoron.com/2022/04/18/history-of-knock-knock-ginger/
  9. ↑ https://professionalmoron.com/2022/04/18/history-of-knock-knock-ginger/
  1. ↑ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cops-teen-shot-by-homeowner-may-have-been-ding-dong-ditching/
  2. ↑ https://www.npr.org/2023/01/25/1150972343/how-to-say-sorry-give-good-apology
  3. ↑ https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BurningBagOfPoop
  4. ↑ https://cbs12.com/news/local/mothers-warning-about-ding-dong-ditch-prank
  5. ↑ https://www.wdrb.com/news/victims-family-outraged-after-man-who-shot-12-year-old-boy-is-pardoned/article_b93c9f40-99f2-5b11-a095-f05d753810ff.html

About This Article

Eric McClure
Co-authored by:
Eric McClure
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Eric McClure is an editing fellow at wikiHow where he has been editing, researching, and creating content since 2019. A former educator and poet, his work has appeared in Carcinogenic Poetry, Shot Glass Journal, Prairie Margins, and The Rusty Nail. His digital chapbook, The Internet, was also published in TL;DR Magazine. He was the winner of the Paul Carroll award for outstanding achievement in creative writing in 2014, and he was a featured reader at the Poetry Foundation’s Open Door Reading Series in 2015. Eric holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MEd in secondary education from DePaul University. This article has been viewed 114,690 times.
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Co-authors: 38
Updated: March 19, 2023
Views: 114,690
Categories: Pranks (Practical Jokes)
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