🎆 Stars, Stripes & Sprints: 4th of July Retro
Light up your sprint like fireworks on Independence Day! Let’s celebrate our victories, declare independence from blockers, and spark new ideas as we look to keep our agile momentum blazing.
Template Columns
🧨 Spark New Traditions
Suggest new actions or experiments to ignite our team spirit and productivity.
Base column: Start🚫 Douse the Duds
Identify processes or habits we should declare independence from for better teamwork.
Base column: Stop🇺🇸 Keep the Parade Rolling
Highlight practices that keep our project marching strong and should continue.
Base column: Continue🎇 Ignite Big Changes
Propose bold improvements to light up our next sprint.
Base column: ChangeAbout this template
The Stars, Stripes & Sprints: 4th of July Retro is a themed retrospective that celebrates wins, eliminates blockers, and sparks fresh ideas to keep team momentum blazing.
When to use this template
Use this retro around US Independence Day, or when your team needs a motivational boost and wants to creatively reflect on what to start, stop, continue, or boldly change.
How to facilitate
Welcome the team with a brief introduction, explaining the 4th of July theme and the meaning behind each column.
Start with a short icebreaker about favorite holidays or fireworks to set an energetic, open tone.
Invite everyone to add notes to each column: Spark New Traditions, Douse the Duds, Keep the Parade Rolling, Ignite Big Changes.
Set aside focused time for everyone to review and upvote key points for each column.
Facilitate a whole-team discussion on the most upvoted items, encouraging deeper exploration and clarifications.
Collaboratively choose 2-3 action items or experiments based on the team's discussion, making sure each is clearly owned.
Wrap up by celebrating the team's progress and previewing how action items will be tracked in the next sprint.
Pro Tips
Encourage team members to share bold or unconventional ideas in 'Ignite Big Changes'—this is the space for visionary thinking.
Use the 'Douse the Duds' column to safely surface recurring frustrations—anonymize input if needed to foster honesty.
Tie new traditions and experiments to something celebratory (like a virtual team 'fireworks display') to reinforce commitment.
Share small wins in 'Keep the Parade Rolling' to build morale and reinforce positive behaviors.
Rotate the facilitator role for each theme-based retro to keep it fresh and engaging.
FAQ
What if team members struggle to fill the 'Spark New Traditions' or 'Ignite Big Changes' columns?
Provide examples or prompts to inspire contributions, and encourage discussion to build on each other's ideas.
How do I keep the retro from getting too unfocused with a holiday theme?
Anchor discussions to current sprint goals and outcomes, and gently redirect if conversations stray too far from process improvement.
What should I do if there’s resistance to candidly identifying duds or blockers?
Promote a blame-free atmosphere and consider anonymous submissions to help team members feel safe sharing sensitive insights.
At a glance
- Duration
45–60 min
- Team Size
4-12 people
- Columns
4 columns
- Base Format
Start, Stop, Continue, Change
Tags
Ready to get started?
Use this template to run your next retrospective