⛄️❄️ Frosty Snowman Retro
Bundle up and slide through our sprint like a snowman—celebrate the warm moments, melt the cold spots, and sculpt a smoother path ahead.
Template Columns
⛄️ Snowy Successes
Share the bright, frosty wins that kept our project cool and steady.
Base column: What Went Well☃️ Melting Mishaps
Identify the drifts and melts that slipped our snowman off balance.
Base column: What Went Wrong❄️ Frosty Fixes
Plan the next layer of snow to build a sturdier, smoother snowman.
Base column: What We Want to ImproveAbout this template
A fun, winter‑themed sprint retrospective that celebrates wins, uncovers slips, and creates concrete improvements.
When to use this template
Use when the team needs a light‑hearted yet focused review, especially after a busy sprint or during a seasonal break.
How to facilitate
Begin by welcoming the team, set a playful tone, and explain the snowman metaphor and the three columns
Ask participants to add their Snowy Successes, noting any bright moments or achievements from the sprint
Next, have everyone contribute Melting Mishaps, focusing on obstacles or slips that slowed progress
Facilitate a brief discussion to clarify each item, then move to Frosty Fixes where the group brainstorms concrete improvements
Use dot voting or emoji reactions to prioritize the top three fixes that will have the biggest impact
Assign owners and due dates to the selected fixes, recording them as clear action items
Close the retro by thanking the team, summarizing the agreed actions, and reminding them of the next check‑in
Pro Tips
Encourage participants to use snowflake or snowman emojis when posting items to keep the theme alive
Group similar mishaps together before voting to avoid duplicate effort and streamline discussion
Turn the top fix into a small experiment for the next sprint and review its outcome in the following retro
FAQ
What if the team struggles to find successes in a tough sprint?
Remind them that even small improvements or smooth hand‑offs count as wins, and encourage sharing personal or process‑level positives.
How do we keep the discussion focused and avoid long debates on each mishap?
Set a timebox of 1‑2 minutes per item, and use a quick clarification round before moving to the improvement column.
Can we use this retro for non‑technical teams?
Yes, the snowman framework works for any group looking to celebrate achievements, surface pain points, and plan actionable steps.
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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