First visit · Ages
First visit in Franklin: is it right for a 10 year old?
Same room, completely different visit depending on how old the child is.
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
A Franklin school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
How it lands at this age
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
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 plan for
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
What parents notice
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
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.
Worth knowing
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
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.
Where is New Life Entertainment?
Two centres: 433 Opry Mills Drive, Nashville TN 37214, and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd, Concord NC 28027.
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.
Planning your visit in Franklin
For a Franklin 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.
A birthday group runs better with a rough plan of who goes where first, even if you abandon it in the first five minutes.
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.
Families around Franklin 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.
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.