First laps on the ice · Faq
First laps on the ice in Cornelius: common questions answered
Short answers to the things worth knowing in advance.
Warm layers matter more than anything else. A cold child asks to leave long before a tired one does.
Coming in from Cornelius 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.
The short answers
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.
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.
The longer answers
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.
Take the photographs early. The best ones happen in the first fifteen minutes, before anybody is tired.
Still worth asking on the day
Twenty minutes is a long first session. Confidence grows faster over three short visits than over one long one.
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.
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.
Planning your visit in Cornelius
The nearest of the two centres to Cornelius is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
For a Cornelius family the trip works best folded into something else - the shopping that was happening anyway, a birthday that needed a venue, a Saturday that needed a plan.
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
Anything time critical is worth a phone call first: hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Monday to Saturday and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.