Open session · Compare
Open session in Charlotte, or something else?
Comparing like for like: what this gives you that the alternatives do not, and where the alternatives win.
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
Families searching from Charlotte are usually weighing one thing: whether it is worth the trip for an hour of something the children have not done before. The honest answer is that it depends on the child, and the rest of this page is about telling which.
What it does differently
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.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
Where other options win
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.
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
How to decide
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
The short version
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.
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.
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.
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 Charlotte
Families around Charlotte 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.
If it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
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.
If Charlotte 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.
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.