Rainy afternoons · First time
Rainy afternoons in La Vergne: 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.
On a wet Saturday, going early beats going late. The same hour feels completely different before and after the rest of the city has the same idea.
A La Vergne school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
The first ten minutes
The trick with a rainy day is picking something that burns energy rather than something that keeps children still. Sitting through a film leaves the energy in the tank.
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
What children do first
Rain turns a normal afternoon into a problem to solve. An indoor attraction inside a mall solves it without anybody getting wet between the car and the door.
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
On a wet Saturday, going early beats going late. The same hour feels completely different before and after the rest of the city has the same idea.
The trick with a rainy day is picking something that burns energy rather than something that keeps children still. Sitting through a film leaves the energy in the tank.
Making the second visit better
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
Questions parents ask
Is it fully indoors?
Both venues are inside malls - Opry Mills in Nashville and Concord Mills in Concord.
What are the opening hours?
Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
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 La Vergne
Coming in from La Vergne 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.
Let the child lead the order of things. Adults optimise; children choose the thing that looks best, and they are right more often than they are wrong.
Take the phone out of your pocket before they start rather than after. The moment worth filming is usually the first one.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Opry Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Nashville and impossible to miss once you are there.
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.