First visit · Tips
First visit in Green Hills: what experienced parents do
Small changes that make a visit go better, learned the ordinary way.
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
For a Green Hills 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.
Before you leave the house
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
When you arrive
Watch what they choose before suggesting anything. Children pick the machine that matches their temperament with no help at all.
Bring less than you think. Coats and bags are the part of the visit nobody enjoys managing.
While you are there
A first visit works best with no schedule attached to it. Come, see what the child gravitates to, and let that decide the hour.
Leave a little early. A visit that ends while it is still fun is the one they ask to repeat.
On the way home
Arrive with time in hand. The first ten minutes are always coats, looking around and deciding, and rushing them costs more than they take.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
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.
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.
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 Green Hills
The drive back to Green Hills is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
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.
Check the day of the week against the closing time before you leave. Sunday finishes earlier than the rest of the week and catches people out.
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Green Hills. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
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.