Visiting with a toddler · Faq
Visiting with a toddler in Donelson: asked and answered
The questions below are the ones that come up before a first visit, answered plainly.
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
The drive back to Donelson is where you find out what they actually thought. Children review an outing about twenty minutes after leaving it, never during.
The short answers
With a toddler the plan is short and simple. One thing, done properly, beats three things rushed.
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.
The longer answers
Bring the things that end visits early if they are missing: a drink, a snack for afterwards and a spare layer.
Go at the quietest hour you can manage. A toddler reads a busy room as a loud room and gets tired twice as fast.
Still worth asking on the day
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
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
Is there anything for very young children?
The ball pit holds their attention on its own, and on the ice side the cars need no skating.
How long will a toddler last?
Plan for less than you think and leave while they still want more.
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.
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 Donelson
A Donelson school holiday runs out of ideas by about day three. This is a day-three answer rather than a day-one one.
If two adults are coming, split up rather than shadowing the same child. One at the rail, one free, and everybody has a better hour.
Decide how long you are staying before you walk in. A visit with an end time attached to it finishes on a good note rather than a tired one.
If Donelson is home, this is the sort of place you end up returning to rather than ticking off. That changes what a first visit is worth planning around.
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
The two centres are at 433 Opry Mills Drive in Nashville and 8111 Concord Mills Blvd in Concord, open 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM most days and 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Sunday.