Open session · First time
Open session in Mint Hill: what happens the first time
The first time is the one that decides whether there is a second time, so it is worth getting right.
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.
Coming in from Mint Hill with more than one child, the useful thing to know is that the room does not need to be rationed - there is more than one thing to do at the same time.
The first ten minutes
It is the easiest way to find out whether a child likes skating enough for lessons, without committing to a course first.
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
What children do 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.
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.
What usually goes wrong
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.
Making the second visit better
An open session is the unstructured version: no lesson, no lane, just the rink and whoever is on it.
Agree the leaving time before you walk in, out loud, to the child. Announcing it later sounds like a punishment; agreeing it first sounds like a plan.
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.
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 Mint Hill
Plenty of the families in the room on a weekday morning have come from somewhere like Mint Hill. Nobody is local to a mall attraction; everybody has driven.
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.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
If you are coming from Mint Hill, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
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.