Spring is taking off this weekend, with Monster Jam and more fun things to do in Boston with kids!
Monster Jam, Sesame Street Live, and More Fun Things To Do in Boston This Weekend
The fun activities in Boston for Spring break 2024 will reach mythic proportions! Dragons and Mythical Creatures photo courtesy of the Roger Williams Park Zoo
Spring Break 2024: 31 Fun Things To Do in Boston
The only force to be reckoned with is fun, with the top things to do in Boston with kids this April 2024! Taylor the Next Jedi photo courtesy of the Improve Asylum
Best Free and Fun Things To Do in Boston with Kids April 2024
Ziplining is one of many adventurous activities at Camp Birch Hill. Photo courtesy of the camp
GUIDE
Boston Summer Camp Guide
Don't sweat the weather, because the best indoor water parks in New England are waiting for year-round fun! Photo courtesy of Jay Peak Resort
Best Indoor Water Parks in New England for Easy Family Getaways
Family Travel Guide
Jump into fun with the top indoor playgrounds and play spaces in Boston! Photo courtesy of Boston Playground
Top Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in Boston
How To Throw a Taylor Swift Party
Teatime meets playtime in Beverly. Photo courtesy of the Children's Piazza
GUIDE
Guide to Indoor Play Spaces and Fun for Boston Kids
Indoors and out and about, there are so many thing to do in Boston with kids before they grow up! Photo courtesy of the Rose Kennedy Greenway website
100 Things To Do in Boston Before Kids Grow Up
Big league fun awaits at Boston's top attractions for kids. Photo courtesy of Fenway Park
Top Attractions in Boston: Best Things To See and Do with Kids
Fun things to do in Boston with teens include seeing priceless works of art at Boston's museums. Photo courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts
25 Fun Things To Do in Boston with Teens
New England Family Travel Guide
Elevate the fun at these 8 New England theme parks that are great for families. Photo courtesy of Lake Compounce
Best New England Theme Parks for Kids and Families
We've launched a partnership with Care.com to bring background-checked nannies and sitters to the Mommy Poppins Directory.
Find Trusted Babysitters and Nannies Now on Mommy Poppins–Powered by Care.com
GUIDE
Guide to Boston Classes and Activities for Kids
Explore a new area on a weekend trip with the kids from Boston
GUIDE
Day Trips and Weekend Getaways from Boston
GUIDE
Guide to Boston Classes and Activities for Kids
Free, fun activities can be as simple as blowing bubbles on a sunny day
GUIDE
Free Things To Do in Boston with Kids Guide
10 One-Mile-or-Less Hikes to Take with Your Preschooler Around Boston
Pizza and bowling are up everyone's alley in Somerville and Salem. Photo courtesy of Flatbread Pizza Salem/Facebook
15 Boston-Area Restaurants Where Kids Can Play While You Eat (and Relax)
Step into family fun in the Merrimack Valley. Photo courtesy of the Salisbury Beach Partnership.
25 Things To Do in the Merrimack Valley with Kids
These boredom-busting activities turn a stuck-at-home day into a lasting memory.
75 Indoor Activities for Kids on a Rainy Day
Peek inside a rainforest at Providence's Roger Williams Park Zoo.
Boston Zoos: There's More Than Just the Franklin Park Zoo!
The Robert Gould Shaw and the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Memorial. Photo courtesy of the National Parks Service
Black-Owned Restaurants, Shops, and Landmarks to Discover in Boston
Hiking is just one of many things to do in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, but it sure delivers great views!
25 Things to Do in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with Kids
Who you lookin' at?! The Tropical Forest at Franklin Park Zoo. Photo by Don Crasco/Franklin Park Zoo
Franklin Park Zoo: Top Tips for a Great Visit with Kids
Try a little freeze dancing, robot style! Photo courtesy of Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels
30 Exercise Games and Indoor Activities to Get Kids Moving
Science experiments and STEM activities for kids entrance children with their
GUIDE
Guide to Science Experiments for Kids and Fun STEM Activities
New England sleepaway camps get kids out into nature. Photo courtesy of Night Eagle Wilderness Adventure Camp
New England Sleepaway Camps Where Kids Completely Unplug
No messy, dripping fingers when you eat watermelon on a stick.
15 Amazing Mom Hacks That Make Everything Easier
Photo by Liz Baill
GUIDE
Crafts & Games Guide: 100s of Activities for Kids
GUIDE
Guide to Online and Virtual Family Fun
GUIDE
Homeschool & Online Learning Resources for Families
A water park, beach activities, and more await at Coconut Bay's all-inclusive resort in St. Lucia.
Best All-Inclusive Resorts in the US, Caribbean, and Mexico for Kids

Kid Friendly Dining Redefined at Aura Restaurant

9/25/13 - By Kristin Quinn

Boston certainly offers a plethora of family-friendly dining options around the city.  After writing about family-friendly dining in two very specific areas for Mommy Poppins, Charlestown and Fort Point I was asked, "What does Family-Friendly actually mean?".  I told them the answer was two-fold: 1.) No annoyed looks from the hostess, waiters, and patrons when you ask for a highchair and a kid's menu and 2.) The restaurant actually offers highchairs and kids' menus.  But I recently learned the term “family-friendly” can mean so much more.  Enter Aura’s Fine Dining Family Style concept, where you don’t have to give up your discerning palette OR eat at the speed of lighting to keep up with your constantly moving child. 

Aura takes the term “Family-Friendly Dining” to a whole new level, offering kids plenty of opportunities for fun. They provide movies, toys, crafts, and games -  with help from a representative from The Kid's Place in Needham.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

I didn't really know what to expect as we walked in.  After choosing our seats, I noticed there was a pink rubber duckie waiting on my 2 year old’s plate, along with the standard paper and crayons.  Okay, I thought, I guess they went the extra mile with a bath toy...  But then I turned around and saw the following, much to my (pleasant) surprise: a large craft table with stickers and pencil boxes for each child, pillows in front of a mini movie screen, play castles, toy trucks, and pretend kitchenware to “serve” Mommy and Daddy.  Jackpot.  I sat back in my seat and actually had a 20 minute undisturbed conversation with my husband out at dinner for the first time, well, since becoming Mommy and Daddy.  
 
Everyone in the play area had name tags (a nice personal touch, I thought) and the attendant on hand quickly became our daughter’s new best friend, helping her decorate her new pencil case with stickers.  One would think with all of this distraction, getting your kid to eat would be impossible, right?  They had a solution for that, too.  
 
Aura created a mini buffet where kids can bring up their own plates and pick from a great selection of healthy foods, perfect for little hands.  Our daughter chose her own chicken skewers, pot stickers, a bowl of cereal, banana slices, cut up veggies with her own bowl for dipping sauce, and a mini Quesadilla.  Talk about a happy toddler: food she got to pick out “all herself” that was fun to eat, too.  
 
The best part?  Our food was excellent.  This is no Applebee's.  We started with a delicious mix of Heirloom tomatoes over Burrata, followed by a delectable steak with basil mashed potatoes.  Then we finished it off with a rhubarb creme brulee.  
 
Aura’s Fine Dining Family Style dinner is a total win-win for parents and kids.  I highly recommend it.  My only complaint?  Aura doesn’t offer this wonderful concept every weekend (or every night).  

Fine Dining Family Style at Aura Restaurant, One Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02210. Price range: $$$. For upcoming dates, check Aura's Calendar of Events.

 

Photo: Dom Miguel

Places featured in this article: