Cops and robbers

You’ll need

An item for the 'Robbers' to steal (cones or bean bags work well)

Before you begin

Mark out a playing area.

Mark out the 'Cops' base. If you have lots of players, you could have more than one base.
Fill the 'Cops' base with something for the 'Robbers' to steal. This could be bean bags, balls, cones, or whatever suits your group best.
A suitable distance away from the 'Cops' area, mark out a home base for the 'Robbers', where players will start out.

Play the game

Explain to the group that they are 'Robbers' who need to work as a team to take all the items from the 'Cops' area and return them to their home base. They can only move one item at a time.
Ask three or four volunteers to be 'Cops'. They should try to stop the 'Robbers' from reaching the 'Cops' area by tagging them (this will send the 'Robbers' back to their home base empty handed)
The person leading the activity should begin the game by shouting ‘Go.’ The 'Cops' should spread out across the playing area and defend their area. The 'Robbers' should start from home base and try to avoid being tagged by the 'Cops'. Each item should be returned to home base. 'Robbers' who are tagged should also return to home base.

Change the teams to mix things up, with 'Robbers' becoming 'Cops' and 'Cops' becoming 'Robbers'. The 'Cops' should work together to trap 'Robbers' and defend the items, while 'Robbers' should also work together to distract the 'Cops' and get past them.
Continue playing until all of the items have been delivered to home base.

Reflection

Those that were 'Cops', how did you work together to stop so many 'Robbers' coming at once? 'Robbers', was it difficult to get to the items? What tactics have you learned that might be useful for other activities, such as sports and other wide games? Was it useful switching roles as you knew what tactics to look out for?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Outdoor activities: You must have permission to use the location. Always check the weather forecast, and inform parents and carers of any change in venue.
Active games: The game area should be free of hazards. Explain the rules of the game clearly and have a clear way to communicate that the game must stop when needed. Take a look at our guidance on running active games safely.
Contact games and activities: Make sure everyone understands what contact is acceptable, and monitor contact throughout the activity.