The excavator yard · Ages
The excavator yard in Lebanon: is it right for a 3 year old?
Age changes the answer more than anything else, so this one is written for a specific one.
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
The nearest of the two centres to Lebanon is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
How it lands at this age
There is no queue system built into the layout - the machines stand apart, so a family with two children can usually get them both working at once.
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
What to plan for
The yard is compact by design. Nobody loses a child in it, and that alone changes how relaxed an hour there feels.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
What parents notice
The whole XCAV area reads like a small construction yard: four machines around one crate, everything at child height, everything meant to be touched.
There is no queue system built into the layout - the machines stand apart, so a family with two children can usually get them both working at once.
Worth knowing
Parents watch from the rail, close enough to talk and far enough not to be operating the machine themselves, which is the point.
Two shorter visits teach a child more than one long one. The second time they already know what they want to try, and that is when the good part starts.
Questions parents ask
How many machines are there?
Four: a tower crane, a mini excavator, a claw excavator and a grabber crane.
Can parents stay with their child?
The rail runs around the crate, so parents stay within arm reach the whole time.
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 Lebanon
Families searching from Lebanon 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.
Let the child choose what to do first even when it is the thing you would have chosen last. The order matters less than the choosing.
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.
Coming in from Lebanon 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 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
If a visit needs planning around a date, a group or a long drive, the centre is easiest to reach by phone: +1 (424) 387-6232 or +1 (615) 968-4925.