Claw excavator · Occasion
Claw excavator in Opry Mills: planning a summer holiday around it
Same attraction, different day, different set of things to sort out beforehand.
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.
If you are coming from Opry Mills, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Why it fits the occasion
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
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.
How the day runs
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.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
What to arrange first
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.
Small things that help
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.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
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 Opry Mills
A Opry Mills school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
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.
Let the child lead the order of things. Adults optimise; children choose the thing that looks best, and they are right more often than they are wrong.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Opry Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Nashville and impossible to miss once you are there.
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.