🍬 Candyland Scrum
Welcome to Candyland Scrum! Let’s unwrap our recent sprint, savoring the sweet successes, spitting out the sour moments, and discovering new flavors to keep our work delightful and productive.
Template Columns
🍭 Lollipop Launches
Share fresh ideas or practices we should start to make our workflow sweeter.
Base column: Start🍋 Sour Drops
Point out habits or blockers we should stop to avoid a sour aftertaste in our team process.
Base column: Stop🍫 Choco-Continues
Highlight the tried-and-true practices we should keep savoring because they make our teamwork delicious!
Base column: ContinueAbout this template
Candyland Scrum is a playful, engaging retrospective where teams reflect by sharing new ideas to try, avoiding workflow blockers, and celebrating practices that work well.
When to use this template
Use this Scrum retro at the end of a sprint when you want to boost team morale and infuse some fun into process improvement while fostering open conversation.
How to facilitate
Begin with a warm welcome and quick check-in to set a playful, open tone for the session.
Briefly introduce each Candyland column: Lollipop Launches for new ideas, Sour Drops for things to stop, and Choco-Continues for practices to keep.
Give team members a few minutes to add thoughts to all columns individually or in small groups, focusing on both personal experiences and team observations.
Once brainstorming is complete, invite participants to explain or expand on their notes aloud, ensuring everyone’s contributions are heard.
Group similar ideas where possible and discuss the most impactful items together as a team.
Prioritize one or two concrete action items in each column to commit to for the next sprint.
Capture commitments, thank everyone for their input, and end on a positive note, perhaps sharing a 'sweet moment' from the sprint.
Pro Tips
Set a playful background or use candy-themed icebreakers to help participants engage more fully.
Encourage honesty by reminding the team that sour feedback is as valuable as sweet wins for growth.
Balance the discussion so each column gets equal focus—don't skip over blockers even if successes dominate the mood.
Revisit the 'Lollipop Launches' from previous sessions to see which ideas have stuck and where further tweaks are needed.
FAQ
What if the team finds the format too playful or not serious enough?
Frame the session by noting that fun themes can make conversations more open while still driving real improvements. Adjust your tone as needed to match your team’s comfort level.
How do we ensure action items actually get followed up?
Assign clear owners to each selected action and review progress at the start of your next retro to build accountability.
What if certain categories receive little participation?
Prompt the team with specific questions or examples to spark discussion and check if the categories feel relevant—consider adjusting prompts if needed.
At a glance
- Duration
35–50 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective