In the old days, children's meals largely consisted of gingerbread shingles, fired-sugar glass, and creampuff doorknobs, which often led to no more children. Give your kids a healthier alternative with today's deal: for $9, you get $20 worth of organic, American eats at Giggles n’ Hugs Children's Restaurant on Wilshire Boulevard. This Groupon can be used for dine-in or take-out.

Instead of triple-double bacon burgers laden with pie, Giggles' menu is a veritable cornucopia of fresh, organic, and nutritious meals that kids will still want to eat. With options for breakfast, lunch, and dessert, you're sure to find something to fill your joey’s pouch, no matter what and when they're craving. Kid-size buttermilk pancakes stuffed with chocolate chips are $5.95. For lunch, order up a steaming plate of mom's tricky treat mac 'n’ cheese, cheese sauce secretly laced with pureed butternut squash ($11.90 adult size, $8.90 for kids). Adventurous children or eggplant-loving parents will enjoy Pocahontas's Panini (goat cheese, eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and a light basil-garlic sauce on hot, grilled bread, $9.95) or bbq chicken pizza (chicken breast, onions, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese with homemade bbq sauce, $10.95). Desserts include ice cream, freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies, and ice cream mashed between two chocolate-chip cookies.

Owners Joey and Dorsa Parsi created Giggles n’ Hugs to provide a clean, upscale environment where kids can do kid-based activities, such as play with colorful objects, run around and make noise, and debate the current socioeconomic divide of the Dutch middle class, all while getting to eat a nutritious meal. When your toddler decides to start singing her favorite Kidz Bop hit, she won't be seized by thick-necked bouncers and tossed into the alley. Childish behavior is fully encouraged and even catered to, with entertainment that varies day-to-day, including face painters, magicians, crooning howler monkeys, balloon-animal sculptors, and more.

Reviews

MyFOX Los Angeles has this feature on Giggles n' Hugs, part of Lisa's LA:

Giggles n' Hugs is a place Hollywood celebrities like to take their kids, including Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Garner, and Adam Sandler; but it gets a lot of love from regular people as well.

Giggles n' Hugs gets 4.5 stars from Citysearchers, and Nickelodeon Parents Connect reviewers give it four stars.

• The play area is huge and extremely clean. They had everything a kid could imagine in the play area and more. The staff was genuinely nice and welcoming. – Sue Pedilla, Parents Connect
• The food is excellent and the play are [sic] is safe and clean with a variety of toys to keep the kids occupied for hours. My son loved it and didn't want to leave. I highly recommend this place to all parents of little ones. – leilylabu, Citysearch