๐Ÿ”ฅ๐ŸŽ‡ Bonfire Night Blaze

Gather โ€™round the flames to spark insights, extinguish blockers, and keep the glow of our successes burning bright in this bonfire-themed retro.
45โ€“60 min
4-12 people
Based on: Start, Stop, Continue
๐Ÿ”ฅ๐ŸŽ‡ Bonfire Night Blaze

Template Columns

๐Ÿ”ฅ Ignite New Sparks

Light up fresh ideas and practices to fuel our next sprint.

Base column: Start
๐Ÿšซ Douse Dead Embers

Identify and extinguish habits that dim our progress.

Base column: Stop
โœจ Keep the Flames Alive

Maintain the practices that keep our momentum glowing.

Base column: Continue

About this template

A bonfireโ€‘themed retro that ignites new ideas, douses unhelpful habits, and keeps winning practices burning bright.

When to use this template

Use when the team needs a fresh burst of energy, wants to celebrate successes, and clear obstacles that dim progress.

How to facilitate

1

Set the stage by sharing the bonfire theme, explaining the three columns and the goal of sparking insight.

2

Ask participants to write down fresh ideas or practices they want to start and place them in the Ignite New Sparks column.

3

Collect items that represent habits or blockers to stop and add them to the Douse Dead Embers column.

4

Gather the practices that are working well and should continue, placing them in the Keep the Flames Alive column.

5

Facilitate a quick dotโ€‘vote or emoji reaction on each column to surface the most important items.

6

Turn the topโ€‘voted items into concrete action items with owners and due dates, then close with a brief reflection on the session.

Pro Tips

Use a timer for each column to keep energy high and prevent overโ€‘discussion.

Encourage visual metaphors โ€“ participants can add fireโ€‘related emojis to highlight excitement.

After the retro, create a shared โ€œbonfire boardโ€ that stays visible for the sprint to remind the team of commitments.

FAQ

What if the team runs out of ideas for the Ignite column?

Prompt with openโ€‘ended questions like โ€œWhat could make our next sprint smoother?โ€ or pull in recent customer feedback to spark new suggestions.

How do we handle strong disagreement on items in the Douse column?

Facilitate a brief โ€œprosโ€‘consโ€ discussion, then use a quick poll to decide if the blocker should be addressed or reโ€‘examined later.

Can this retro be used for a midโ€‘sprint checkโ€‘in?

Yes, shorten the session to 30 minutes, focus on one or two highโ€‘impact items per column, and treat the outcomes as immediate adjustments.

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At a glance

  • Duration

    45โ€“60 min

  • Team Size

    4-12 people

  • Columns

    3 columns

  • Base Format

    Start, Stop, Continue

Tags

team motivation
continuous improvement
action-oriented
fun
reflection

Ready to get started?

Use this template to run your next retrospective