Centre ice · Ages
Centre ice in Mooresville for 7 year olds
What works brilliantly at one age is a shrug at another. Here is how it lands at this one.
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Parents from Mooresville 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.
How it lands at this age
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
What to plan for
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
What parents notice
Space in the centre is what lets a child try a turn. Near the boards there is always somebody to avoid; in the middle there is only the turn.
It is also the best place to watch from the rail: the whole rink is between you and them, and every lap comes back past you.
Worth knowing
The middle of the rink is where the wall stops helping. Getting there is the milestone every new skater sets for themselves without being asked.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
Questions parents ask
How long before a child leaves the rail?
Some in the first session, some in the fifth. Neither is unusual.
What are the opening hours?
10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
Planning your visit in Mooresville
If you are coming from Mooresville, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Let the child choose what to do first even when it is the thing you would have chosen last. The order matters less than the choosing.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Mooresville. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.