🎈🤹♀️ Carnival of Joy
Step right up! Celebrate our sprint’s highlights, tackle the hiccups, and brainstorm brighter acts for the next show in this fun-filled carnival retro.
Template Columns
🎪 Spectacular Acts
Highlight the standout successes that made our sprint a showstopper.
Base column: What Went Well🎭 Glitches & Gaffes
Share the mishaps and slip-ups that tripped our performance.
Base column: What Went Wrong🎟️ Next‑Level Tricks
Propose new tricks and improvements to elevate our future acts.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
A lively, carnival‑themed retro that celebrates wins, surfaces slip‑ups, and co‑creates fun improvements for the next sprint.
When to use this template
Use when the team wants a high‑energy, celebratory session that still drives actionable insights, especially after a successful or eventful sprint.
How to facilitate
Kick off by setting the carnival mood, explain the three columns and invite everyone to think of examples for each
In the Spectacular Acts column, have each participant write a short note about a highlight and then share them aloud, grouping similar successes
Move to Glitches & Gaffes; ask team members to anonymously add items, then discuss the most impactful ones and root‑cause briefly
For Next‑Level Tricks, brainstorm creative ideas to improve the process, encouraging playful suggestions and voting on the top three
Close by assigning owners and due dates to the selected tricks, and end with a quick gratitude round to keep the carnival spirit alive
Pro Tips
Use colorful virtual sticky notes or emojis to match the carnival theme and keep energy high
Limit discussion time per item with a timer to prevent the session from dragging
Capture the final action items in a shared board and send a recap email with the carnival visuals
FAQ
What if the team is shy about sharing failures?
Allow anonymous posting in the Glitches & Gaffes column and reassure that the focus is on learning, not blame.
How do we keep the fun tone without losing seriousness?
Balance playful language with clear action outcomes; celebrate wins loudly but treat improvement ideas with the same enthusiasm and concrete next steps.
What if we run out of time?
Prioritize the top‑voted items in each column and defer lower‑priority ideas to a follow‑up board, ensuring the session stays within the allotted time.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
3 columns
- Base Format
What Went Well, What Went Wrong, What We Want to Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective