Claw excavator · Ages
Claw excavator with a 7 year old in Green Hills
Age changes the answer more than anything else, so this one is written for a specific one.
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.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Green Hills. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
How it lands at this age
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.
What to plan for
Because it grabs rather than scoops, it works just as well when the crate has been dug over and the surface is uneven.
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 parents notice
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.
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.
Worth knowing
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.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
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 Green Hills
From Green Hills the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every 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.
If you are coming from Green Hills, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.