[Family Members] Tips for Using Ignite at Home

Ignite by Hatch™ is a powerful tool for supporting your child’s learning in a fun, engaging way. Here’s how to make the most of it at home.

Maximize Learning Time:

Set a consistent schedule for Ignite play.

• If mornings are busy, make Ignite part of an afternoon routine. "After snack time, we’ll play Ignite for 10 minutes before heading outside!"
• Use Ignite during quiet time or unstructured time. "After you put your dishes in the sink, you can play Ignite for a few minutes before we read a book."

Keep sessions short and engaging.

• Instead of a long session, break Ignite time into short, focused bursts. "Let’s play one Ignite game now, and then you can play another one after dinner."
• Watch for signs that your child is losing interest and stop before they feel frustrated. "Looks like you're getting tired. Let’s finish up and play again tomorrow!"

Use the Progress Dashboard:

Check Ignite’s real-time reports to track progress.

• Log in weekly to see your child’s learning milestones. "Wow! You’re great at finding rhyming words! Let’s practice together."
• Look for trends in skill development. "I noticed you’ve been working on patterns. Let’s find patterns around the house—maybe in the tiles or your socks!"

Identify areas where your child may need extra support.

• Engage in fun and educational activities together using the recommended activities on the dashboard. “You’ve been learning about nutrition, let’s play a game called ‘Healthy Choices.’”
• If the dashboard shows a challenge with counting, integrate it into play. "Let’s count how many steps it takes to walk from the couch to the kitchen!"
• If a game on letter sounds is tricky, reinforce learning with books. "Your game showed you the letter ‘m’ today. Let’s find words that start with ‘m’ in this story!"

Discuss progress in a positive way.

• Instead of focusing on mistakes, praise effort. "You worked really hard on that new game! I love how you kept trying."
• Encourage persistence. "Some games are tricky at first, but the more you play, the better you get. Let’s try again tomorrow!"

Engage With Digital Play Together:

Ask your child to explain what they are learning.

• After playing, encourage reflection and reinforce learning. “What did you do in Ignite today?”
• If your child plays a sorting game, ask them to sort toys by color or shape afterward. "Can you put all the red blocks together like you did in Ignite?"

Connect digital learning to real-life experiences.

• If your child played a shape game, ask them to find shapes around the house. "You found circles in your game. Can you find something that’s shaped like a circle in our kitchen?"
• If they worked on letter sounds, practice with environmental print. "You learned the letter ‘s’ today! Do you see a word that starts with ‘s’ in the grocery store?"

Use Ignite as a conversation starter.

• Ask open-ended questions. "What was your favorite game today? What made it fun?"
• Make learning interactive. "You learned about rhyming words. Can we think of three words that rhyme with cat together?"

Make Ignite a Fun Challenge:

Create a reward system for Ignite play.

• Make a star chart where your child earns a star each time they play Ignite for 10 minutes. After 10 stars, they get a fun reward, like choosing a family movie or a special treat.
• Use a token system—each time your child plays Ignite, they put a token in a jar. When the jar is full, they earn a prize.

Incorporate Ignite into a family challenge.

• Set a weekly goal and celebrate when it’s reached! "If you play Ignite for 30 minutes this week, we’ll have a family game night!"

Make Ignite a Reward or an Incentive:

Treat Ignite as a privilege.

• Treat Ignite as a special activity your child earns after completing a task, like finishing their homework or cleaning up toys. “Great job completing your chores today! You can have 10 minutes on Ignite before dinner.”

Incorporate sibling or parent–child play.

• If multiple children use Ignite, create a fun challenge where they compare progress in a playful way, like “Who can find the most rhyming words this week?” As a parent, you can also play alongside your child and try to “learn” with them.

Tie Ignite Into Everyday Routines:

Introduce a morning brain boost.

• Encourage Ignite play first thing in the morning as a wake-up activity to start the day with learning. “Good morning! You can play Ignite while I make breakfast.”

Play Ignite before bedtime.

• If screen time before bed works for your family, use Ignite as a quiet, engaging activity before story time. “You can play Ignite for 5 minutes, and then we’ll read a story before bed.”

Incorporate weekend Ignite time.

• Dedicate 15–20 minutes on the weekend to Ignite as part of “family learning time. Click on the gear icon and touch “one-two-three-four". Then click on “Explore Ignite” and find games to play.

Celebrate Learning Together:

Showcase achievements.

• Print out or write down learning milestones and display them on the fridge or a bulletin board. Celebrate when your child reaches a new milestone in Ignite. “Here’s our goal—let’s see if you can play for 30 minutes this week!”

Create an "Ignite Expert" badge.

• When your child reaches a milestone (e.g., 30 minutes of Ignite play per week), they get an "Ignite Expert" badge and can teach a younger sibling or stuffed animal what they learned. “Show Michael your badge and tell him what you learned this week!”

Engage the Whole Family:

Encourage grandparent/relative/family friend check-ins.

• Have your child share something they learned on Ignite with a grandparent, cousin, or friend during a video call or visit. “Tell Grandma Suze about the pattern game you played today!”