Welcome to Kindergarten Cafe!

I’m Zeba, and I’m here to help you find the *kindergarten magic* in your classroom. I create resources and share strategies to make your teaching easier, more engaging, and focused on those magical moments of growth with your students. Whether you teach kindergarten, preschool, or first grade, you’ll find ideas and activities to bring that *kindergarten magic* to life. Feel free to reach out—let’s make teaching kindergarten magical again!

recent

Easy Small Group Ideas for Blending and Decoding Success ~ Ep. 119

Top Strategies for Teaching Personal Space in Kindergarten ~ Ep. 118

Minimizing Disruptions During Kindergarten Small Groups ~ Ep. 117

Help Kids Move Beyond Labeling to Writing Sentences ~ Ep. 116

Kickstart the New Year with Growth Mindset Strategies ~ Ep. 115

Science

Inside My Lesson Planning Process ~ Ep. 49

Classroom Activities and Lessons

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode I discuss my approach to lesson planning as a kindergarten teacher. I highlight the significance of structured curriculum from the district, emphasizing the creation of a social-emotional curriculum to support fellow teachers. I share insights on balancing prescribed curriculum with personalized...

Earth Day Magic in Kindergarten ~ Ep. 30

Holidays

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode of Kindergarten Cafe, I discuss the significance of Earth Day. I share how I incorporate Earth Day activities into my classroom to teach students about environmental awareness and taking action to care for the planet. From observing nature and cleaning up...

The Chick Life Cycle Unit is Pure Kindergarten Magic

PODCAST

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary Join us in this episode of the Kindergarten Cafe podcast, where we dive into the enchanting world of the Chick Life Cycle Unit, a magical experience for students and educators alike. We explore the journey of hatching chicks in the classroom, from sourcing eggs...

Kindergarten Water Adventures ~ Ep. 21

PODCAST

Apple Spotify Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode, I share ways to teach students about water through engaging activities. From the changing states of water, to conducting fun experiments on absorption, sinking/floating, and melting. These experiments encourage the students to make predictions and challenge their expectations. In this episode, I...

Kindergarten Life Cycle Activities: Unlocking the Magic from Frogs to Flowers

PODCAST

Apple Spotify Google Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode of Kindergarten Cafe, we delve into the captivating world of kindergarten life cycle activities. Life cycles are a fundamental aspect of teaching science to students, as they provide valuable insight into the changes and growth that occur in living organisms, as...

Embracing Fall and Fostering Observation Skills in Kids

PODCAST

Apple Spotify Google Amazon Music Episode Summary In this episode, we explore using fall as a teaching tool in the classroom. Sharpening observational skills, we encourage students to observe fall objects, dissect them, and make accurate drawings. By fostering curiosity, engagement, and reflection, we create a dynamic learning environment that sparks...

Teaching Students to Observe the Natural World Around Them

Science

Teaching students to observe is one of the most important skills that students learn in science. Students learn to build their own knowledge of the world around them, ask questions, and observe what is really happening in front of them. Teaching students to observe can be...

How to Set Up A Kindergarten Science Center

Classroom Design

Kindergarten science centers are great to spark interest and curiosity and to develop observation skills. Science centers can be done in any classroom. Despite what you might think, they don’t need a lot of stuff or require a lot of work! I will show you how...

Integrating Science and Literacy

Literacy

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 topics. This...

Chick Life Cycle for Kids

Science

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 the rest...