The Summer Adventure retrospective takes your team on a metaphorical journey to reflect on recent project successes, address challenges, and brainstorm improvements for future sprints.

When to use this template

Best used at the end of a project sprint or phase when the team needs an engaging, themed way to review outcomes, identify blockers, and energize for the next iteration.

How to facilitate

Welcome everyone and introduce the Summer Adventure theme to set a positive, light tone for the session

Share the column prompts—Sunny Successes, Surprise Storms, and Next Trip Upgrades—and explain each to ensure everyone understands what to add under each heading

Give participants quiet time to add their reflections to each column using specific examples

Invite the team to cluster similar items, then review and discuss high-impact highlights and pain points, encouraging elaboration and questions

Facilitate a group conversation about action items and prioritize suggestions from the Next Trip Upgrades column

Assign owners for action items and confirm agreements for follow-up

Close with a quick round where each person shares one 'souvenir' or takeaway from the retro

Pro Tips

Use playful summer imagery or virtual backgrounds to set a relaxed atmosphere and foster creative thinking

Encourage team members to share not just results, but feelings—helpful for surfacing less visible storm clouds

During clustering, highlight connections between successes and surprises to reveal hidden patterns

If conversation stalls, prompt participants with travel-themed analogies (e.g., What roadblocks did we hit? Where could we take a detour next time?)

FAQ

How do I keep the theme fun without it feeling forced?

Sprinkle in light summer references, but focus discussion on real project issues. Let team members opt in to themed elements like backgrounds or props.

What if discussion about failures gets too negative?

Redirect to learning opportunities and balance the conversation with Sunny Successes. Remind the team the goal is improvement, not blame.

How do we ensure action items actually get addressed?

Assign clear owners and due dates during the retro. Review outstanding items at the start of your next session to build accountability.

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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

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective

🌞🏖️ Summer Adventure

Pack your bags for our Summer Adventure Retro! Let’s explore the highlights, unexpected rainstorms, and ways to make our project journey even more fun and productive. Bring your sunscreen and ideas!

Template Columns

🍦 Sunny Successes

🌧️ Surprise Storms

📅 Next Trip Upgrades

About this template