BOO! Be sure to grab our free You’ve Been Booed printable PDF, learn more about this fun Halloween tradition, and find some booed basket ideas and Halloween treats to consider sharing alongside these free printables.
Growing up, I would always cross my fingers that one of my friends or neighbors would doorbell ditch us with a You’ve Been Booed sign and treat bag.
Some years it happened, others it didn’t. But as an adult, I’ve realized that it’s something that I could easily start with my kids – we don’t always have to wait around for someone else to do it.
We created these printables years ago, and I think they’ve brought a lot of fun to the Halloween season for many families and individuals.
Free You’ve Been Booed Printables
We made two versions, one in black and white and one in color, to hopefully make printing easier.
Print off one of the instructions to put with your treat, one of the “We’ve Been Booed” sheets, and ding dong ditch them at some friend’s house. Just click on the “Checkout” button below. It’s free!
You’ve Been Booed Printable
Below are samples of the Halloween printables that you will receive when you download them above. We included a black-and-white and a colored one. The “You’ve Been Booed” free printable sign is basically an instruction sheet.
We’ve Been Booed Printable
This printable is for the sign in the window to indicate they’ve been booed!
You’ve Been Booed Instructions
Here are the basic instructions for this activity. You will find the printable below with these same instructions that you will include with the treats.
- Enjoy your treats
- Place your “we’ve been booed” sign on a window or door.
- Within two days, make two copies of the free printable pdf signs and instructions and prepare two special treats for the people
- Deliver the treats and papers to two friends or neighbors who haven’t been booed yet. Don’t let them see you as you drop it off on the porch of the person you’ve chosen! Guessing who booed you is part of the fun!
What to Put in a You’ve Been Booed Basket
There are lots of fun things you can drop off with your “You’ve Been Booed” sign – the sky is really the limit.
From delicious and seasonal treats to small little toys and trinkets, this is just a fun thing to do with your neighbors and friends. Who doesn’t love getting a little surprise on their doorstep? You can do homemade treats or storebought ones, and they can be small treats, too.
If you are worried about allergies, non-candy treats are a great option.
I highly recommend checking out the Dollar Tree Halloween Section or the Target Dollar Spot – chances are, you’ll be able to make a couple of really fun and inexpensive gift bags to drop off.
- Candied or Caramel Apples
- Pretzel Toffee
- Cheesecake Caramel Pumpkin Cups
- Popcorn Balls
- Apple Butter
- Halloween-Themed Coloring Book and Crayons
- Candy Corn Krispie Treats
- Fun Halloween Decoration
- Glow Sticks (can be found at The Dollar Tree)
- Pumpkin Candy Cookies
- Homemade Pumpkin Donuts
- Pumpkin Oreo Pops
- Soft Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cookies
- A Halloween game or fun activity
- Anything that you think would be a fun Halloween surprise
You can put them in:
- Boo bucket
- Boo Bag
- Gift Basket
- Goodie Bags
- Candy Jar
Here are even more Boo Basket Ideas!
What is “You’ve Been Booed”?
This is a fun tradition where you put together a bag or plate of goodies and doorbell ditch it on somebody’s front porch during Halloween time. It usually has a Halloween theme, and you leave them with instructions to continue the booing/anonymous treat giving.
You also include a “We’ve Been Booed” sign for the recipient to put in their window (this is technically so no one else boos them…but really, I think it’s okay to boo someone more than once :).
There’s so much variation in how you can do this. You can bring a basket of treats, Halloween candy, small toys from the Dollar Tree…whatever you want! It’s a favorite Halloween tradition of many
It’s fun to see the signs pop up around the neighborhood. I think it’s a great community activity to get involved with!
I’ve seen teachers do “You’ve Been Booed” to different classrooms at my son’s old school. I think that’s a really fun thing for the teachers and children to participate in!
How Do You Start “You’ve Been Booed”?
Do you want to start the you’ve been booed chain? Luckily, it’s not hard at all! Here’s what you should do:
- Select 2-3 homes that you want to Boo
- Put together your boo baskets or treats
- Print off all of the signs listed above
- Anonymously drop off your treats and signs at your recipient’s homes
You can put a “We’ve Been Booed” sign in your window, or you can keep it out if you hope someone may do it back to you!
What does it mean if you’ve been booed?
This just means that your home (or classroom) has been the recipient of a fun Halloween tradition! Typically when you’ve been booed, its customary to boo someone else and keep the chain going! However, there is no requirement to do so.
Where should you put your booed sign?
If you’ve been booed, it’s best to put your “We’ve Been Booed” sign in a spot that people can easily spot from the outside, such as:
- Your front door
- Front Window
- If you’re doing this in a school, you can place it on your classroom door, outside the classroom, or on your white board/chalk board
Who should you do You’ve been Booed to?
You can do “You’ve Been Booed” to just anyone! I think most people enjoy getting a little extra Halloween cheer with some fun treats. Here are a few ideas:
- A family member
- Neighbors
- Church friends
- Friends from School
- Co-Workers
We hope that your family will have so much fun with boo signs this year! It’s a great way to get the whole neighborhood involved in some Halloween fun during the month of October.
Booing is a fun and easy tradition to start with your friends or family. The best part is that there are endless possibilities for what you can put in your boo basket. Be sure to get creative and have fun with it! Do you have any other ideas for what could go into a boo basket? Let us know in the comments below.
Other Halloween Posts You May Enjoy:
- The Best Dollar Store Halloween Costume Ideas
- Easy Halloween Tulle Wreath Tutorial
- Halloween Games and Activities for Kids
Amanda GV says
My family was BOOed for the first time today and we used your printout to pass along the fun. Thanks and Happy Halloween!!
Katie says
Oh how fun! I’m so glad you were able to use this printable. It’s such a fun thing to do! I hope you have a great Halloween as well!
Karin says
How fun! The ward I grew up in used to do this every year, except we called it getting struck by the phantom ghost! It’s one of my favorite Halloween traditions! Me and Trevor will have to make sure we get this started with our friends this year!