The Alexandra children, girls and boys, knocked on the doors of three houses and said they were fundraising for their school and other organisations, but none of the house occupants gave them money, Sergeant Derek Ealson said.
''They have invited themselves into the houses, pushing in when the door has been opened to them,'' he said.
Later, the children returned to one of the houses and took several small items from the property.
Some of the items had been recovered by police but some were still missing.
The children involved had been identified by police and were referred to the police youth aid officer, who was also working with Child Youth and Family to ''address their behaviour'', Sgt Ealson said.
Alexandra was generally safe but people should be wary about uninvited visitors.
''The best thing is not to open the door to strangers. If someone claims to be a fundraiser, then ask them for identification with a contact number so that you can verify their details.
''If you are not comfortable with the situation then, contact a neighbour, friend or family member, or the police,'' he said.
