By Jessica Harlan

Those mega-sets of Legos will outlive us all in the landfills, and the insipid voice of that talking Elmo doll is enough to drive the most even-keeled parent nuts. Luckily, there are some toys on the market that are made with sustainable materials, and will help nurture kids’ creativity while encouraging them to make the world a better place. What’s more, they’re actually fun. What a concept! Here are some of our favorites.

Infants will go goo-goo ga-ga over this Under the Nile Fruit Tote. These banana, pear, watermelon and grape dolls are made of super soft 100 percent organic Egyptian cotton, tucked in an adorable striped tote basket. $26.
underthenile.com

Stimulate your toddler’s walking skills, hand-eye coordination, color identification and stacking prowess with Earthentree Toys’ Pull-Along Train Stacker. This vividly colored choo-choo is made from fast-growing wood and colored with natural dyes like turmeric and indigo. $24. earthentree.com



Younger kids can build the most imaginative towers and buildings with this set of Tree Blocks, which includes disks, bridges and cylinders, many of which are forked or still have their bark as a reminder of the tree from which they came. Finished with flax oil, these blocks are made from managed forests and other sustainable sources. $27.95 to $49.95. treeblocks.com



Stockmar Modeling Beeswax will coax out the inner sculptor in older kids. The brilliant colors of this sweet smelling, nontoxic modeling beeswax won’t bleed or smudge — just warm the pieces in your hand for a few minutes to make them pliable. $14.99 to $24.99.
ecoartworks.com



Forget Grand Theft Auto IV. Your ’tweens and teens can feel good about playing Food Force, a video game in which players must deliver food aid to areas in crisis. The United Nations World Food Programme game can be downloaded for free. food-force.com