Claw excavator · Story
Claw excavator in Antioch: an hour, start to finish
Not a review - a description. Here is roughly how an hour goes.
Children who have played claw machines at an arcade expect this one to cheat. It does not - the grab closes when they close it and holds what it holds.
If you are coming from Antioch, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Walking in
The grab is the machine for the child who likes precision. Picking one ball out of a hundred is a different game from moving a bucketful.
If it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
The middle of the visit
The claw excavator swaps the bucket for a five finger grab. Instead of scooping, it closes around a handful of balls, which changes the whole feel of the machine.
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
The last ten minutes
Children who have played claw machines at an arcade expect this one to cheat. It does not - the grab closes when they close it and holds what it holds.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
What sticks
The grab is the machine for the child who likes precision. Picking one ball out of a hundred is a different game from moving a bucketful.
The claw excavator swaps the bucket for a five finger grab. Instead of scooping, it closes around a handful of balls, which changes the whole feel of the machine.
Questions parents ask
Is this like an arcade claw machine?
It looks similar and behaves completely differently. Nothing releases the grab except the child holding the control.
Which machine should a first timer start with?
Most start on a bucket machine and move to the grab once they have the feel of the arm.
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.
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 Antioch
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Antioch. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
Bring a spare layer even in summer. Malls are air conditioned, rinks are colder than that, and a cold child is a child who wants to go home.
If one child is nervous, let them watch for the first ten minutes without being asked to join in. Almost all of them join in.
The drive back to Antioch is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
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.