Cereal isn’t all about the sugary flakes and crunchy rings. It’s about the culture, too. Of course, since you’re reading a cereal blog, I probably don’t need to tell you that.

From the colorful characters to the mail-in premiums and games on the back of the box, there’s a good reason breakfast cereal has stood the test of time and become a full-on lifestyle for nostalgia-holics like me.

Growing up, my favorite part was always the TV commercials. Only on Saturday morning could you slurp down a bowl of Golden Grahams, binge watch Pokémon, then see a commercial about Toucan Sam’s deep sea adventures that makes you forget the Golden Grahams and inspires you tow your mother to the grocery store for a fresh box of Froot Loops that will fuel the exact same process the next weekend.

But as we grow older and start to substitute Cartoon Network with CNN and such, we see way fewer cereal commercials. I guess it’s hard to bookend Wolf Blitzer with Chip the Wolf.

That’s why I still purposely tune into Nickelodeon most mornings while I chomp down Raisin Bran Crunch or Cheerios. Aside from the sweet, sweet SpongeBob re-runs, I get to see that cereal commercials are still alive, well, and awesome.

Here are three of the best.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqBZC-bcE-E

Lucky Charms – Pool Party

I challenge anyone who was skeptical about Lucky Charms’ recent redesign to watch this commercial and not be filled with infectious glee.

In this ad, Lucky and his anthropomorphized marshmallow friends go on a thrilling lazy river ride, the kind real life water parks can never deliver due to “safety regulations” and those snot-nosed kids who ruin everything by squirting you with the bootleg Super Soakers they smuggled in past the lifeguards.

Everything about the animation here oozes charm, and it gives me serious Adventure Time vibes. I particularly love how every ‘mallow has a unique personality. I’d pay good money for trading cards and action figures that reveal their intricate backstories.

I mean, just look at that yellow hourglass guy! There’s no way he hasn’t solved crime with Colonel Mustard.

Cocoa Puffs – Cuckoo Court

Okay, this one’s technically cheating a little, since Cuckoo Court has been on air for at least 6 years. But the fact that it’s still out there entertaining kids is a testament to its greatness. I can only hope its legacy lasts as long as that legendary M&M’s Santa ad.

I could blow Tolstoy out of the water by writing everything great about this ad, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the formula. The “Sonny goes zany for cereal” concept has been done again and again, and here we see it in its prime.

In 30 seconds, Cocoa Puffs presents a better legal drama than an episode of Law & Order, and better yet, it brings back Gramps, the original Cocoa Puffs mascot from way back in the 1960s. Those kinds of nods to the past are what make cereal commercials compelling even for adults watching alongside their kids.

Anything that keeps Mom from changing the channel to Oprah is alright with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6HBUnLNNKo

Honey Nut Cheerios – Game On

This one is pure eye candy. In the year 2016, it’s very rare to find a commercial encouraging kids to eat cereal and play video games. Every time this commercial is viewed, there’s a helicopter parent out there shivering in his/her sleep without knowing why.

From Space Invaders to Minecraft, “Game On” reenacts famous video games with America’s favorite glazed oat loops. I’m a little bummed there’s no nod to Pac-Man, though. A cobbled- together Cheerio pac-Man gobbling down more Cheerio pellets like a cannibalistic pie chart would be the icing on an already sweetly honey frosted cake.

Oh, to be young and have crumb-encrusted joysticks again.

I hope you enjoyed this cereal commercial refresher course. If there are other new cereal commercials out there you like, let me know in the comments! Now go forth and watch cartoons with out shame.

You deserve it.