First visit · First time
First visit in Davidson: what happens the first time
The first time is the one that decides whether there is a second time, so it is worth getting right.
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
From Davidson the practical question is timing rather than distance. Arriving in the first hour after opening is worth more than shaving minutes off the drive.
The first ten minutes
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
What children do first
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
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.
What usually goes wrong
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
Making the second visit better
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
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.
Questions parents ask
What should we bring?
Warm layers for the rink, and the usual drink and snack for afterwards.
How long should we allow?
An hour is a comfortable first visit for most families.
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 Davidson
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Concord Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Concord and impossible to miss once you are there.
Weekday afternoons in term time are the quietest slot in the week. Weekend middays are the busiest.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
Weekends bring more of Davidson out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
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.