Open session · First time
Open session for the first time in Concord Mills
Nobody arrives knowing how it works. That is fine - here is how the first half hour tends to go.
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
Weekends bring more of Concord Mills 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 first ten minutes
Families spread out. One parent skates with the confident child, the other stays near the rail with the one who is still deciding, and both are on the same ice.
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 children do first
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
The mix of ages on an open session is part of the appeal - and the reason to keep an eye out for smaller skaters when the rink is busy.
What usually goes wrong
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
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.
Making the second visit better
Families spread out. One parent skates with the confident child, the other stays near the rail with the one who is still deciding, and both are on the same ice.
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
Questions parents ask
Is a session structured?
An open session is free skating rather than a class.
Can parents go on the ice too?
Skating with a nervous child is usually the fastest way to get them moving.
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 Concord Mills
If Concord Mills is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
Bring a spare layer even in summer. Malls are air conditioned, rinks are colder than that, and a cold child is a child who wants to go home.
The nearest of the two centres to Concord Mills is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
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.