16 Cereal Box Prizes That Made Mornings Worth It
Cereal box prizes were the ultimate childhood treasure hunt, turning every breakfast into an exciting adventure with surprises that made mornings unforgettable.
- Alyana Aguja
- 5 min read
Prizes in cereal boxes were a favorite of childhood, making ordinary mornings into exciting treasure hunts. Action figures and holographic stickers, mini games and temporary tattoos, these prizes were the ideal motivator to make children look forward to breakfast. Cereal manufacturers spent decades designing imaginative and collectible promotions, making each bowl a chance for adventure and creativity.
1. Glow-in-the-Dark Monster Mouths (Count Chocula, 1980s)
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Count Chocula’s special edition glow-in-the-dark monster mouths were a ghostly treat. Children could rip off the box and stick the plastic cutouts together to form a monster face that glowed under black light. It was like having Halloween year-round, with an extra kick of excitement at breakfast time.
2. Star Wars Action Figures (C-3PO’s, 1977)
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In the late 1970s, C-3PO’s cereal featured an exclusive set of Star Wars action figures. These small figures let collectors bring their favorite characters like Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader back home. Every box enabled children to create a collection that had the Star Wars universe in their kitchens.
3. X-Ray Glasses (X-ray Vision, 1950s)
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X-Ray Vision cereal came with a pair of novelty “X-ray” glasses, which were claimed to allow you to see through objects (although they actually just had red lenses). Even though they didn’t truly possess superpowers, children were delighted by the fantasy of possessing special powers. The anticipation was overwhelming as you tore open the package to reveal the secret of the glasses.
4. Spider-Man Comic Book (Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 1990s)
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In the 90s, Cinnamon Toast Crunch produced cereal boxes with free mini Spider-Man comic books. The comics were a sensation among Marvel fans, providing stories full of web-slinging action. Each bowl of cereal was an adventure in a Marvel world, featuring characters you only read about back then.
5. Practical Jokes Kit (Lucky Charms, 1980s)
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Lucky Charms added breakfast excitement by packaging a practical joke kit in the box. The kit contained items such as fake vomit, whoopee cushions, and rubber snakes, which caused giggles and imagination. It was an early move in cereal’s movement toward involving children in entertainment outside the breakfast table.
6. Magic Coins (Golden Grahams, 1990s)
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Golden Grahams introduced a set of collectible “magic” coins in the 1990s. The plastic coins were shaped like treasure, gold or silver-colored. It wasn’t only the cereal the children anticipated—receiving the coins was like digging up treasure in each bowl.
7. Holographic Stickers (Froot Loops, 1990s)
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Froot Loops cereal packages in the ’90s used to have holographic stickers of different designs. The shiny effect made every sticker appear like a miniature piece of art. The novelty visual appeal made them irresistible to children who collected them for school folders or lockers.
8. Decoder Ring (Rice Krispies, 1970s)
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During the 1970s, Rice Krispies marketed boxes with a “secret decoder ring,” challenging children to find secret messages. The ring was packaged with a book containing a code to be deciphered to read secret words or sentences. This was a fun activity to generate curiosity and make breakfast mysterious.
9. Ring Toss Game (Honeycomb, 1970s)
Image from Honeycomb Cereal
Honeycomb cereal boxes of the 1970s had a built-in ring toss game with rings cut out of the box. You could practice your shot with the rings cut out of the box. The game was on the reverse side of the cereal box and provided hours of entertainment even after eating the cereal. It slowed down the morning routine and made it all about friendly competition.
10. Tattoo Transfers (Sugar Smacks, 1970s)
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Sugar Smacks had temporary tattoo transfers that came in the box in the 1970s. The temporary tattoos contained cartoon characters or silly designs that you could put on your skin with water. It was a dramatic way to decorate your appearance and enjoy your preferred sweet cereal.
11. Action Figures (Frosted Flakes, 1990s)
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Frosted Flakes produced a series of action figures featuring characters such as Tony the Tiger in the ’90s. The small but collectible figures usually included accessories or special elements. They were ideal for children who wanted to include Tony in their expanding toy collection while enjoying breakfast.
12. Miniature Skateboards (Cap’n Crunch, 1980s)
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In the 1980s, Cap’n Crunch provided tiny skateboards as prizes in every box. These small, operational boards featured rolling wheels and were meant for tricks or decoration. Children would race their boards around the kitchen counter or construct teeny tiny ramps, so every morning was essentially a teeny skateboard park.
13. Tattoo Sheets (Sugar Frosted Flakes, 1960s)
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Sugar Frosted Flakes offered tattoo sheets as prizes in the 1960s, giving children the opportunity to adorn their bodies with colorful designs. From sports heroes to comic book-style characters, these tattoos were a fun way to begin the day. They didn’t merely cover the skin—they inspired creativity and imagination.
14. Silly Putty (Fruity Pebbles, 1980s)
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In the 1980s, Fruity Pebbles even provided small sachets of Silly Putty as a freebie. Colored putty could be stretched, snapped, and bounced for endless fun. Its elastic touch and pliability made it ideal for kids who wanted to mold it into creative shapes to enjoy during their breakfast.
15. Mini Record Players (Sugar Smacks, 1970s)
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Sugar Smacks had a mini record player within cereal boxes in the 1970s. It was a plastic turntable that played music, essentially a tiny replica of an actual record player. It was like having a concert for breakfast every day as children jammed out to their cereal.
16. Plastic Figurines (Wheaties, 1980s)
Image from Wheaties
In the 1980s, Wheaties sometimes featured collectible plastic figurines of sportsmen, in line with its marketing as “the breakfast of champions.” The figurines usually featured well-known sportsmen, and children collected them like trophies. It was an excellent way for young fans to connect with their idols while having a healthy breakfast.