Common Sense Media Review
By Ashley Moulton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny puppets explore food with Michelle Obama and celebs.
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Waffles + Mochi
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 16 parent reviews
Parents say the show offers an engaging and educational exploration of food and nutrition, featuring a diverse cast and relatable characters that captivate both children and adults. However, some parents express concern over specific phrases in the show that may not be suitable for younger audiences, and there's a desire for more practical cooking recipes to accompany the episodes.
- fun and educational
- diverse representation
- age-appropriate concerns
- lack of recipes
- engaging characters
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
Based on 4 kid reviews
What's the Story?
WAFFLES + MOCHI follows the adventures of puppets Waffles (a half-Yeti/half-waffle creature, voiced by Michelle Zamora) and Mochi (an adorable small ball of mochi, voiced by Russ Walko). Waffles and Mochi come from the Land of Frozen Foods, where they eat only ice cubes, and are delighted to try real, fresh foods for the first time. They get a job at a grocery store full of other talking puppets, like Shelfie, the grocery store shelf, and Intercommy, the store loudspeaker. The store also has a produce garden on the roof, where Michelle Obama is the shopkeeper and plays a version of herself. In every episode, they learn about one ingredient, like tomatoes, rice, or pickles. They take a ride in the MagiCart (a shopping cart/go cart/rocket hybrid) and visit places around the world to discover more about how the ingredient grows or how it's cooked. They might visit celebrity chef Samin Nosrat (Salt Fat Acid Heat) in her Oakland tomato garden, or restaurateur Jose Andres in Washington, D.C., to learn how to make gazpacho in the Spanish tradition. The show is also punctuated by music videos based on the ingredient (like an animated tomato-y Sia singing about tomatoes being a fruit). By the end of the episode, Waffles and Mochi have had fun learning about the delicious world of food.
Is It Any Good?
Waffles + Mochi is a fantastic, non-preachy way to get kids excited about healthy food. There's no lecturing about eating healthy foods -- instead, the show makes the food seem appealing to kids by emphasizing how it's delicious to eat and fun to cook. Kids get to learn about how food grows and how to cook it, and they also get to learn about the cultural aspect of food around the world. Kids will love Waffles, a hilarious puppet who knows little about life on Earth and is trying all these new foods for the first time. Mochi is equally lovable as an impossibly cute and small nonverbal sidekick. The world of Waffles + Mochi is whimsical and quirky, with a mix of puppets, live-action scenes, and animation.
Waffles + Mochi is an awesome show for families to watch together. The grown-ups will enjoy the guest appearances by celebrities (and Obama herself), and will also appreciate the subtle adult-oriented humor sprinkled throughout. Adults might even learn a thing or two about food and cooking from the experts, and may be inspired to get in the kitchen and try something new with their kids. The show is probably best suited for elementary school-age kids, but preschoolers will enjoy it and learn from it as well. Waffles + Mochi delivers a lot of yum and a lot of fun to kids of all ages.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the food featured in the show. Would you like to taste any of the ingredients or cook any of the recipes? What groceries would you need to buy to re-create the dish?
Waffles and Mochi are really curious about food, since they're trying it for the first time. Are there any foods you'd like to learn more about, or try?
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 16, 2021
- Cast : Michelle Obama , Michelle Zamora , Russ Walko
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Educational
- Topics : Cooking , Adventures , Puppets , STEM
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- TV rating :
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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