Intended for:
This free icebreaker can be used to help break the ice in a fun and relaxed way at the beginning of a training session or meeting.
The icebreaker can be used during training where you want to highlight awareness of others actions. Such as; Assertiveness Skills Training, Customer Care Training, Conflict Handling or Emotional Intelligence Training.
This icebreaker can also be used as an energiser throughout a training session.
Training course contents:
A set of instructions for the icebreaker, ‘Cop, Robber, Victim’ can be downloaded in Word format from the link at the bottom of this page. Alternatively, you can follow the instructions below.
Instructions – prior to starting this icebreaker, the trainer should clearly explain the instructions to the group.
1. Ask participants to get into groups of three for this icebreaker
2. This icebreaker is a lot like rock, paper, scissors, but instead you use the terms; cop, robber, victim
3. First, allocate an action to each of the roles i.e. for a cop you could hold your hands out in front as if showing a badge, the robber could be holding two pistols out in front and the victim could have their hands in their air as a sign of surrender
4. Participants are not allowed to talk throughout this icebreaker
5. The aim of the icebreaker is not to ‘beat’ the opponents as in rock, paper, scissors, but instead just to ensure that everyone is in a different pose directly after the start is called, which ensures that participants pay close attention and awareness of what the other two people in their group are doing
6. When the trainer calls, ‘Start’ each of the three people in every group must take up one of the actions representing the role they have chosen. But, if someone else in the group has the same pose, they must alter theirs to be different
7. Of course, as one person notices they are the same and take up the new position, so the other person/s might alter their stance too. This results in a situation where the participants are altering only to find that they are the same as another person again. The results can be extremely funny as participants fumble to alter their positions continually
8. They must demonstrate a strong awareness and good observation skills to get to a point where they have a cop, robber and victim in each group
9. You could make this icebreaker more fun by offering a prize to the group of three that get into position quickest
The icebreaker ends when they have achieved the task or the trainer calls a halt to the proceedings. The icebreaker should be seen as a fun activity that promotes awareness of actions.
Objectives:
The icebreaker should be seen as a fun activity that promotes awareness of actions.
