Gifts for Kids With a Conscience

People have a lot to say about the internet, with varying opinions of its affect on impressionable minds. But one thing about the web is undeniable:

It's put global awareness into the palms of nearly everyone – kids included.

• Collectively called Generation Alpha, today's children are arguably smarter, more inclusive and more geopolitcally aware than any generation before them. But this can leave kids in a quandary.

Many children are wondering how they can help preserve the Earth while still enjoying all the outright coolness today's tech has to offer.

 Luckily, Gen Alpha really can have it all. Here are our favorite toys for youngsters who are truly ahead of their time.

Dolls Kids Can Relate To

Dolls that are proportioned realistically and have a bright, appealing look can go a huge way toward your little one getting into creative storytelling.

• When a little one gets to “know” a doll that’s similar to them, they have the freedom to have the doll act in the ways they’d like to. In the process they get to know one of the most amazing people in the world: themselves!

Best of all, just one relatable doll can take the place of a handful of other toys. That means less spending as well as less plastic consumption.

Toys That Let Kids Be Who They Are Right Now

A noted marketing phenomenon is that while at one time kids sought toys that made them seem older, today youngsters want age-appropriate fun.

We think this is great; it means children spend more time in the here and now. It also means it's easier for them to feel their importance at every age and stage.

This category of toys can also include dolls, but it’s not limited to them. Remember jump ropes, pretend pets and sidewalk chalk?

Still cool, still freeing and still fun! And if they're tech-savvy, apps just for them can open up their creativity, too.

Toys that Show, Not Announce, Diversity

We know, we know: what’s the difference?

Actually, the first one includes dolls that just happen to have differences. The second directly attempts to teach a lesson.

• We applaud toy rollouts of dolls that are culturally or physically diverse. Sometimes, though, a softer touch can go a long way.

It’s also far less limiting, because your child can focus on the fun he’s having rather than the “difference” he’s been told the doll has.

Toys Without an Agenda

Toys that encourage open-ended play can help kids learn more about themselves and the world around them.

The fewer rules a child has, the more likely they are to make their own. They’ll have a blast creating stories with their toys and having them go on all the adventures they’d love to one day.

Toys that Create Less Waste

Kids with a conscience may sometimes worry about all the toys they just don't seem to play with. They're that aware (don't you love it?).

A toy that can become an heirloom can be ideal. The more he plays with his special present, the more the child can make memories.

With a little cleaning-up, an heirloom quality toy can be passed down for future generations to love, appreciate and grow with. And that’s a beautiful thing.