Claw excavator · Tips
Claw excavator in La Vergne: practical tips
None of this is complicated. All of it is the difference between a good hour and a difficult one.
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 La Vergne, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Before you leave the house
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.
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.
When you arrive
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
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.
While you are there
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.
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.
On the way home
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 two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
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.
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 La Vergne
Coming in from La Vergne 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.
Check the day of the week against the closing time before you leave. Sunday finishes earlier than the rest of the week and catches people out.
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.
Families around La Vergne 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 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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.