Claw excavator · Guide
Claw excavator in Lebanon: the practical guide
This is the practical version - what it is, who it suits, what to bring, and what usually happens in the first 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.
The drive back to Lebanon is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
What it actually is
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.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Who it suits
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
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.
What to expect
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 two children are visiting together, plan for them to split up. Doing different things in the same room is the point of a room with different things in it.
Before you go
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.
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.
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.
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 Lebanon
Parents from Lebanon 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.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
If Lebanon is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
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.