Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Christmas recipes with a sprinkle of alcohol and promotion.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Donna Hay Christmas
What's the Story?
In DONNA HAY'S CHRISTMAS, Australian celebrity chef Donna Hay shares her tips for elegant but easy Christmas entertaining. The four-part mini-series covers appetizers, main courses, desserts, and food gifts to make for loved ones. The recipes are pretty straightforward and promise a lot of flavor with not a lot of effort. Since Hay celebrates Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, many of her dishes have a summer-time flair. Hay serves her meals to family and friends overlooking a beautiful view of the Sydney-area coastline. Each episode ends with a QR code inviting viewers to navigate to the recipe so they can make it at home.
Is It Any Good?
Unless they're really into cooking, kids will find this show pretty boring. It's standard cooking-show fare, with a host explaining step-by-step how to make dishes and then eating them with party guests. The recipes themselves are billed as Christmas recipes, but many of them wouldn't be out of place served at any type of party. Kid chefs may be disappointed that there aren't more kid-oriented dishes, like appetizers in the shape of Rudolph or Santa. Viewers in the Northern Hemisphere should also note that Hay's menu reflects a summer Australian Christmas, and includes things like lobster rolls instead of items traditionally found on a winter Christmas table. The food itself does look delicious and very approachable, but the series is geared toward adults. Aspiring kid chefs will likely lose interest and want something a little more entertaining and Christmas-y.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role food has in your family's holiday celebrations. Would you like to incorporate any of the recipes featured in the series?
Talk about the QR code at the end of the episode. Do you know what QR codes are? Does our family want you to ask permission before navigating to new websites?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 2, 2022
- Cast : Donna Hay
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Reality TV
- Topics : Cooking
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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