Visiting with a toddler · Story
Visiting with a toddler in Mount Juliet: a visit described
Not a review - a description. Here is roughly how an hour goes.
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
Coming in from Mount Juliet 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.
Walking in
Bring the things that end visits early if they are missing: a drink, a snack for afterwards and a spare layer.
Do not schedule anything immediately afterwards. An hour of concentrated play is tiring in a way that shows up in the car park, not in the room.
The middle of the visit
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.
The last ten minutes
Toddlers rarely want the machine. They want the balls, the colours and the noise, and that is a complete visit at that age.
If it is the first time, do not also make it a birthday. Learning a place and celebrating in it are two different visits.
What sticks
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 Mount Juliet
The nearest of the two centres to Mount Juliet is the one to aim at - Opry Mills in Nashville - and the drive is the ordinary sort rather than an expedition.
The quietest hour of the week is the first one on a weekday morning in term time. The busiest is Saturday around midday.
Count on the drive home being the conversation. Children tell you what they actually thought about twenty minutes after leaving.
Parents from Mount Juliet tend to ask the same first question: how long will this hold their attention. Long enough to be worth the drive, and short enough to leave while they still want more.
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.