🍪🏙️ Sesame Street Shuffle
Let’s step onto Sesame Street! Join Elmo, Cookie Monster, and friends to uncover what we learned, what to change, and how to make our project even more fun and effective. Can you tell us how to get to happier sprints?
Template Columns
🗑️ Oscar’s Trash Can (Drop)
Toss away unhelpful habits, just like Oscar keeps things clean (sort of).
Base column: Drop🧩 Abby’s Magic Additions (Add)
Suggest magical new ideas that help the team grow, inspired by Abby Cadabby’s spells.
Base column: Add🦃 Big Bird’s Best (Keep)
List the things that have worked well and should stay, just like Big Bird’s favorite street routines.
Base column: Keep🍪 Cookie Monster’s Cravings (Improve)
Point out where we can do better and satisfy our hunger for improvement, Cookie Monster style.
Base column: ImproveAbout this template
The Sesame Street Shuffle retrospective uses fun, character-driven columns to help teams reflect on habits to drop, new ideas to add, strengths to keep, and areas to improve for happier and more effective sprints.
When to use this template
Use this format when the team needs a lighthearted, engaging retrospective to boost creativity and open up honest conversation. It's especially effective after high-stress periods or when energy is low.
How to facilitate
Welcome everyone and introduce the Sesame Street theme plus each character's column to set an inviting, playful tone.
Invite team members to brainstorm and add notes to each column: Oscar’s Trash Can for things to drop, Abby’s Magic Additions for new ideas, Big Bird’s Best for what’s working, and Cookie Monster’s Cravings for improvements.
Give the team time to review all entries collectively, encouraging clarifying questions and brief explanations where needed.
Guide a discussion on what items resonate most, drawing out why certain habits, ideas, and improvements matter to the group.
Facilitate a voting session to identify the highest-priority changes or experiments for the upcoming sprint.
Agree on concrete next steps or action items for the top-voted topics, assigning clear owners where appropriate.
Wrap up by inviting reflections on the process and how it felt to work with the Sesame Street theme.
Pro Tips
Encourage everyone to reference real examples or moments from the sprint for more actionable suggestions.
Lean into the theme for icebreakers or warm-ups to set a relaxed, creative mood.
Pair similar mindset notes across columns to identify high-leverage opportunities for improvement.
Limit time per column to keep momentum and prevent over-discussion.
FAQ
Is this template too childish for a professional team?
The Sesame Street Shuffle uses playful metaphors to encourage creative, honest discussion; most teams find it refreshing and energizing, especially when energy is low.
How can I ensure action items come out of all the fun?
Summarize and prioritize discussion outcomes during the final steps, clearly documenting decisions and assigning owners.
What if some team members aren’t familiar with Sesame Street?
Explain each column’s concept simply—a habit to drop, an idea to add, something to keep, and an area to improve—so everyone can participate fully regardless of background.
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At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-10 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Drop, Add, Keep, Improve
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective