A screen free afternoon · Compare
A screen free afternoon in Murfreesboro: how it compares to other indoor days out
There is no shortage of indoor options. The useful question is which one suits your particular child.
Screen free is easy to say on a Saturday morning and hard to do by two in the afternoon.
Coming in from Murfreesboro with more than one child, the useful thing to know is that the room does not need to be rationed - there is more than one thing to do at the same time.
What it does differently
What replaces a screen has to be more interesting than a screen, which rules out most of the obvious answers. A machine a child actually controls is one of the few that works.
The feedback loop is the same one games use - do a thing, see a result, adjust - except it happens with hands, in a room, with other people watching.
Where other options win
Nobody has to ban anything. Children put the phone down on their own when the alternative is better.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
How to decide
Screen free is easy to say on a Saturday morning and hard to do by two in the afternoon.
What replaces a screen has to be more interesting than a screen, which rules out most of the obvious answers. A machine a child actually controls is one of the few that works.
The short version
The feedback loop is the same one games use - do a thing, see a result, adjust - except it happens with hands, in a room, with other people watching.
Weekday afternoons in term time are the quietest slot in the week. Weekend middays are the busiest.
Questions parents ask
Is there screen time involved?
The machines are levers and cables. The ice is ice.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
How do I get in touch?
By phone on +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925, or by e-mail at info@newlife-entertainment.com.
Planning your visit in Murfreesboro
Families around Murfreesboro who have done it once tend to plan the second visit differently: shorter, earlier in the day, and with the machine the child liked in mind.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
Parents from Murfreesboro tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
The practical details
- XCAV ZONE — 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214: four child-operated machines over a ball pit.
- ICE PARK — 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027: a real rink with bumper cars on the ice.
- Opening hours — 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
- Phone — +1 (424) 387-6232 · +1 (615) 968-4925
- E-mail — info@newlife-entertainment.com
Questions about a specific day, a group or a party are best asked directly - info@newlife-entertainment.com, or either of the numbers on the contacts page.