Visiting with a toddler · First time
Visiting with a toddler in Monroe: 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.
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
Families searching from Monroe 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 first ten minutes
Bring the things that end visits early if they are missing: a drink, a snack for afterwards and a spare layer.
Warn a nervous child about the noise before you walk in. Knowing what to expect is most of the difference between anxious and curious.
What children do first
With a toddler the plan is short and simple. One thing, done properly, beats three things rushed.
Go at the quietest hour you can manage. A toddler reads a busy room as a loud room and gets tired twice as fast.
What usually goes wrong
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
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.
Making the second visit better
Bring the things that end visits early if they are missing: a drink, a snack for afterwards and a spare layer.
With a toddler the plan is short and simple. One thing, done properly, beats three things rushed.
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.
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 Monroe
If you are coming from Monroe, treat it as a cross-town outing rather than a day trip. Go with a return time in mind and the day stays easy.
A short visit that ends while they still want more beats a long one that ends in a meltdown, every time.
Go early if the choice is available. The first hour after opening is quieter than any hour that follows it, and quieter is easier for everybody.
Nothing about the visit assumes you know the area. The centre is inside Concord Mills, which is signposted from everywhere in Concord 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.