Classroom Activities and Lessons Archives

Kindergarten Cafe

Welcome to Kindergarten Cafe - your home for teaching ideas, activities, and strategies across all content areas! I am Zeba McGibbon and I love creating resources for teachers and sharing my teaching experience with others. Kindergarten Cafe is aimed for kindergarten, but teachers of Preschool-First grade can find resources here for their students! I love to connect with other teachers so please reach out and say hello!

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Teaching Tips and Tricks

5 Easy things to prepare for next school year

Zeba McGibbon

I know that the end of the year is fast approaching, for some faster than others (like myself… who still has 1...

Teaching Tips and Tricks

3 Simple Ways to Prevent the Summer Slide

Zeba McGibbon

Teachers and parents alike are always looking for ways to prevent the summer slide. We work so hard all year to help...

Teaching Tips and Tricks

How to Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

Zeba McGibbon

As you start to get ready for back to school, establishing classroom procedures and routines should be in the front of your...

Social Emotional Learning and Supports

What does Empathy Mean to a Kindergartener?

Zeba McGibbon

Empathy is the hardest social emotional skill for young children to learn because developmentally young children have difficulty taking perspectives. Knowing the...

Dramatic Play

Easy, Peasy, Pizza Dramatic Play Center

Zeba McGibbon

Students love changing out the dramatic play center and one of my students’ favorites is a pizza dramatic play center! They love...

Integrating Science and Literacy

LiteracyZeba McGibbon

Some of the most authentic learning that happens in my classroom comes from integrating the different subjects. Young children are not designed to learn in silos, in separate subject areas. They learn best when these subject areas can be combined when learning about different...

The Best Kindergarten End of Year Activities and Tips

Classroom Activities and LessonsZeba McGibbon

The end of the year can be a stressful time… kindergarten end of year activities are no exception. There is so much to do! Between report cards, end of year assessments, class placements, parent meetings, end of year parties and gifts, and keeping the...

Chick Life Cycle for Kids

ScienceZeba McGibbon

One of my all-time favorite science units is the chick life cycle. I love giving my students the opportunity to watch the chick develop inside the egg, hatch, and grow! The chick life cycle is always a student favorite, and one they remember for...

Tracking student progress easily

Classroom Activities and LessonsZeba McGibbon

Effective teaching involves routinely tracking student progress. How can teachers be tracking student progress in a way that enhances their instruction, rather than takes away from it? I hope to go through some of my routines and structures that I have set up on...

Relax Easy this Kindergarten Spring Break

HolidaysZeba McGibbon

(SHARE 3/3) Kindergarten spring break is on the way, and you might be thinking how best to help your students not to forget every single thing you’ve already taught them this year. I love sending home a kindergarten spring break packet with my students...

The 7 Most Underrated Gingerbread Man Story Versions

HolidaysZeba McGibbon

We all know and love the Gingerbread Boy and Gingerbread Man story originals, but what if I told you there was more than just those two versions! There are so many different versions out there, but today I am breaking down my top 7...

Life Cycles Activities for Kindergarten

ScienceZeba McGibbon

One of the biggest concepts I teach my students in science throughout the year is life cycles. We learn all different kinds of life cycles and each cycle I follow a similar routine! Do you do life cycles activities in your classroom? Check out...

Rethinking Thanksgiving in Kindergarten

HolidaysZeba McGibbon

I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting and learning about teaching with more of an equity lens. I am definitely trying to diversify my books and offer more perspectives in my teaching than just a White male perspective of history. I want my students...

Easy Kindergarten Home Support for Struggling Students

LiteracyZeba McGibbon

We always want what is best for our students, and some students just need more practice than what we can provide during the school day. Enter the kindergarten home support bag. Kindergarten home support bags have definitely helped many of my students and their...

Simple Dice Games for Kindergarten for the Year

MathZeba McGibbon

Simple dice games for kindergarten are probably my most loved math stations and activities I give my students. They love the routines, the game aspect, and they hardly even realize they are doing math the whole time! Dice games are an important part of...