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Elf on a Shelf cereal is coming to stores for the holidays

This special holiday tradition just got a sweet upgrade.
/ Source: TODAY

For many families, the Elf on the Shelf has become a holiday tradition that's as important as a visit to Santa Claus or singing Christmas carols. This year, though, the somewhat sneaky pastime is getting a sweet update.

This fall, Kellogg’s is rolling out a cereal inspired by the quirky creature and it features red and green star pieces with marshmallows and edible glitter. It reportedly tastes just like sugar cookies, too.

According to the product's packaging, it’s the “official cereal of the North Pole” — but it will also magically be available in Walmart stores starting this November.

The Elf on the Shelf tradition has been around since 2005. Based on a book of the same name, the cute concept allows parents to use a special “representative” of Santa (an elf, of course) who has been sent into a home to watch over children to ensure they are staying well behaved during the holiday season.

Per the official rules, kids are not allowed to touch the elf but if they do, they must apologize to the elf (and Santa) and then sprinkle the elf with some cinnamon.

"Cinnamon is like vitamins for scout elves, and it helps them get back to the North Pole," states the Elf on the Shelf's website. Surprisingly, there's no cinnamon in this cereal (which retails for $3.64 a box), so you may still need to continue that original sprinkling tradition if you want to make sure those elves have enough fuel to get back to Santa.

Of course, parents don't really move the elves either ... they just happen to move from place to place when children are asleep, or they take a trip back to Santa to report on any naughty deeds.

While the elf might be reporting back to his boss on a nightly basis about the behavior of his or her house kids, it's unlikely that a cereal cares if anyone's been naughty or nice, so perhaps some kids will be able to enjoy something sweet this holiday season anyway. Or perhaps that mischievous little elf will just start gobbling up all the new cereal instead of cinnamon.