Rainy afternoons · Tips
Rainy afternoons in Midland: what experienced parents do
The things nobody tells you until you have done it twice.
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 nearest of the two centres to Midland is the one to aim at - Concord Mills in Concord - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
Before you leave the house
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.
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.
When you arrive
Both venues sit inside shopping centres, so the walk from the parking to the attraction is under cover.
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.
While you are there
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.
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.
On the way home
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.
Photograph the machine as well as the child. In two years you will have forgotten what the room looked like.
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.
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 Midland
Weekends bring more of Midland out at once. If the schedule allows a weekday, take it; the same visit is quieter and the machines wait for nobody in particular.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
Bring a snack for afterwards rather than during. Hungry children leave early and full children want to stay.
Families searching from Midland 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.
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.