Teens are kicking in front doors for TikTok, and Halloween weekend is prime time. Here’s how to catch them with your doorbell cam.

October 29, 2026

By Kim Komando

Saturday night, your doorbell will ring a few hundred times. Princesses, zombies, one kid dressed as a taco. Fun.

But some Halloween mischief makers might not bother to knock.

Teens are kicking people’s front doors as hard as they can, running and filming themselves. It’s called the Door Kick Challenge, a souped-up version of ding-dong ditch. Westborough, Mass., police issued a warning last week after several reports. The trend has also hit Florida, Texas, Kansas and Oregon. In Kansas, Merriam police called it a “reckless TikTok challenge” built to “mimic a home invasion.” Ring footage shows one teen kicking a door while a buddy films.

🎃 Trick or treat, minus the treat

Here’s the danger. You hear a boom at 2 a.m. You don’t think “prank.” You think “break-in.”

• In Texas, a man grabbed a gun when teens kicked his apartment door. His words: “They probably would’ve got shot.”
• In Florida, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood didn’t mince words: “Somebody is going to get killed. This isn’t funny.”
• One Florida homeowner got stuck with a $500 split door frame. The kids pay, too. Two Volusia County teens were charged with felonies after a neighbor’s camera caught them.

Halloween weekend is prime time. Lots of kids out after dark and plenty of cover.

📹 Make your doorbell cam earn its keep

Your camera is your best witness, but only if it’s set up right. Do this before Saturday:

• Check your plan. On Ring, no paid plan means no saved video. You can watch live, but you can’t go back and grab the clip. Google Nest’s newer doorbells keep just three hours of free video. Blink can save clips free to a USB drive plugged into its Sync Module 2.
• Aim for faces. Angle the camera to catch faces, not the tops of hoodies. Set your motion zone to cover the porch, not the street.
• Light it up. Leave your porch light on all night. Night vision turns faces into gray blobs.
• Save the clip fast. Download it to your phone the moment something happens. Cloud clips don’t last forever.

And the big one: If your door gets kicked, don’t open it and don’t chase anybody. Call 911. Police in Kansas said it best: “Don’t pursue these people.”

Parents, talk to your teens before Saturday. Tell them this “prank” can get them arrested, injured or worse.

Keep the candy bowl full and the door locked. When is a door not a door? When it’s ajar.

🗣️ Text/post this stat: Teens are kicking in front doors for TikTok, and if you have Ring without a paid plan, your camera won’t save a second of it. GetKim.com

📩 Send this to someone who has a teenager headed out on Halloween night.