❄️☃️ First Day of Snow

Bundle up and glide through our sprint’s fresh powder, celebrating wins, melting obstacles, and shaping the next snowball of success.
45–60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
❄️☃️ First Day of Snow

Template Columns

❄️ Fresh Flurries

Identify new initiatives to start rolling like fresh snow.

Base column: Start
🧊 Melt the Ice

Stop practices that are freezing our momentum.

Base column: Stop
☃️ Snowball Roll

Continue the actions that keep building momentum like a snowball.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A fun, winter‑themed sprint retrospective that celebrates wins, drops blockers, and reinforces what’s working.

When to use this template

Use when the team needs a light‑hearted review after a busy sprint or to re‑energize after a period of change.

How to facilitate

1

Introduce the snow theme and remind the group of the retrospective purpose

2

Ask each participant to add virtual sticky notes with observations for Fresh Flurries, Melt the Ice, and Snowball Roll

3

Group similar notes under each column and briefly read them aloud

4

Discuss Fresh Flurries first, encouraging ideas for new initiatives to start rolling

5

Move to Melt the Ice, identify practices that are freezing momentum and explore why they should stop

6

Conclude with Snowball Roll, highlight continuations and agree on one concrete action to keep the momentum going

Pro Tips

Use a snowflake or snowball emoji on each sticky note to keep the visual theme consistent

Limit discussion time per column with a visible timer to maintain focus

End with a quick “snowball” round where each person adds one word describing the team's vibe

FAQ

What if the team runs out of ideas for Fresh Flurries?

Prompt with open‑ended questions like “What have we been wanting to try but haven’t yet?” or pull suggestions from the product backlog.

How do we handle dominant voices during discussion?

Use a round‑robin format or ask quieter members to share first, ensuring balanced participation.

Can this format work for a very small team?

Yes, with 2‑3 members you can combine Fresh Flurries and Snowball Roll into a single brainstorming segment to keep the flow smooth.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    45–60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

team health
celebration
action-oriented
winter theme
reflection

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective