First laps on the ice · Occasion
First laps on the ice in University City — a playdate, sorted
The occasion changes the planning more than the activity does, so this is mostly about the planning.
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.
The nearest of the two centres to University City is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Why it fits the occasion
Twenty minutes is a long first session. Confidence grows faster over three short visits than over one long one.
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.
How the day runs
Warm layers matter more than anything else. A cold child asks to leave long before a tired one does.
If two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
What to arrange first
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.
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.
Small things that help
Twenty minutes is a long first session. Confidence grows faster over three short visits than over one long one.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
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.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
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 University City
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like University City. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
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.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
Parents from University City 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
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.