Open session · Ages
Open session in Indian Trail: is it right for a preschooler?
Same room, completely different visit depending on how old the child is.
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
Parents from Indian Trail tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
How it lands at this age
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.
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
What to plan for
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.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
What parents notice
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.
Worth knowing
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
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.
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.
Planning your visit in Indian Trail
If you are coming from Indian Trail, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
Tell a nervous child what is going to happen in the order it will happen. Surprise is the thing they mind, not the activity.
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.
From Indian Trail 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 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.