Claw excavator · Faq
Claw excavator in Old Hickory: the questions parents ask
The questions below are the ones that come up before a first visit, answered plainly.
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.
A Old Hickory school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
The short answers
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.
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.
The longer answers
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.
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
Still worth asking on the day
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.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
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.
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 Old Hickory
Coming in from Old Hickory 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.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
If Old Hickory 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
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.