First laps on the ice · Local
First laps on the ice for families in Indian Trail
The local version of the question: how far, how long, and is it worth it.
A first lap is mostly about the wall. Children hold it, let go of it, grab it again, and somewhere in the third lap they forget it is there.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Indian Trail. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
Getting there
Warm layers matter more than anything else. A cold child asks to leave long before a tired one does.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
What you will find
The advice that helps most is the least technical: bend the knees, look ahead rather than down, and take short steps instead of long glides.
Falling is part of it and is less dramatic than parents fear. Ice is slippery at walking speed, which is the speed a beginner moves at.
How long to allow
Twenty minutes is a long first session. Confidence grows faster over three short visits than over one long one.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
Worth the trip?
A first lap is mostly about the wall. Children hold it, let go of it, grab it again, and somewhere in the third lap they forget it is there.
Warm layers matter more than anything else. A cold child asks to leave long before a tired one does.
Questions parents ask
What age can a child start skating?
Children start at very different ages. What matters more is whether they are willing to hold a rail and shuffle.
How long should a first session be?
Short. Twenty minutes of trying beats an hour of being cold and frustrated.
What should they wear?
Layers, long sleeves, gloves. Gloves are the item most often forgotten and most missed.
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.
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 Indian Trail
Families around Indian Trail 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.
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.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
Parents from Indian Trail 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.
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.