This year, we scoured toy stores, outfitters, adventure lines, and the internet for unique gifts that’ll provide kids with some old-fashioned (i.e., screen-free) fun while challenging developing minds. Behold, some of 2018’s most Earth-conscious—and awesome—toys, games, gear, books, and more.

Fact: Kids are obsessed with national parks. Once they learn about them, that is. Underdog Games’ Trekking the National Parks ($50) has players aged 10+ competing for points by visiting the parks and claiming park cards and stones as if they were Pokemon cards. Travel vicariously across the country, and get the whole family psyched to trek the trails that define America’s most valuable public resource.

Few things provide more fun for kids than DIY projects. But if you’ve ever wished they didn’t require the purchase of quite so many different items, look no further than the whimsical and environmentally conscious DIY craft kits available through Heart for Wildlife. It’s the brainchild of Kevar, a wildlife- and origami-loving 10-year-old who, with help from his parents, launched his company in an effort to support the National Wildlife Federation with 10 percent of all profits. Kevar’s whimsical Christmas Ornament Keepsake Kits ($25) contain materials made from recycled T-shirts, handmade papers, and nontoxic inks to help fellow kids craft their own Earth-friendly snowman, angel, elf, reindeer, or Santa ornaments—and trim one heck of an ethical tree.

Intrepid and adorably rendered animals embark on an endless range of choose-your-own (well, your kids’ own) adventures when you unleash Story Box Animal Adventures ($13) from Laurence King. It’s a game containing 20 storytelling puzzle pieces, printed on both sides. Each can be linked together—and flipped over or interchanged—to afford young, budding storytellers all kinds of plot twists (for instance, a polar bear can be en route to its tortoise pal’s birthday party, only to find it has to fend off pirates). Kids can tell a different story—and boost their reading comprehension and imaginative threshold—every time they play.

Designed to slip into any kid’s backpack or adventure duffel, Torrey Publishing’s Backpack Explorer: On the Nature Trail ($13) is a field guide complete with interactive games, activities, stickers, and maps—all designed to help curious kid explorers find their hands-on happy in the great outdoors. With a magnifying glass and guides to help kids identify the birds and animals in their backyard and beyond, it’s a pretty perfect addition to family hikes, road trips, and camping excursions.

There’s nothing like being a kid on the cusp of realizing that the world is vast and chock-full of marvelous, weird, and off-the-beaten-path treasures to explore. If you loved Atlas Obscura’s 2016 unveiling of An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders, the eight-to-14-year-olds in your orbit will probably dig The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid ($14). Released in September, it’s billed as a beautifully illustrated passport to 100 real destinations in 47 countries on every continent. Kids can read all about Argentina’s Ecological Bottle House, the gravity-defying goats of Turkmenistan, Scotland’s fire festivals, and many more fascinating finds in various crevices of the globe.

The problem with a lot of kids’ snow gear is that it doesn’t come with more “premium” features like high waterproof/breathability ratings, body-mapped insulation, and underarm vents. Enter Shred Dog, a new direct-to-consumer brand offering high-performance winter apparel for the three-to-14 set. With a mission to get more kids outside and away from their screens—especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate—Shred Dog donates 1 percent of all sales to nonprofit organizations that share their vision of getting youngsters adventuring outdoors. The canine-themed outfitter offers a full range of coats, jackets, bib pants, base layers, socks, and neck gaiters for boys and girls. We’re partial to the fetching Akita Insulator (pictured, $60), intended for young female winter warriors.

Raffi introduced the world to Baby Beluga back in 1980 with his eponymous sing-along tune. Four decades later, the lovable whale is back, but now in the form of a board game. Created by Raffi along with fair-trade game developer Suzanne Lyons of CooperativeGames.com, the Baby Beluga Game ($35) features paintings by Ashley Wolff (who illustrated Raffi's Baby Beluga book), and comes with a free download of the Baby Beluga song and a 32-page illustrated booklet. It’s a game with a simple objective: Players (aged three to 10) win by helping Baby Beluga and his Arctic friends swim wild and free. And in the process, they learn all about whales and ocean science.

Give a three-year-old a head lamp and she’ll probably want to come camping and exploring with you. Good news: Petzl has unveiled the TIKKID ($25), its first head lamp for kids. It comes in two colors and fun patterns, boasts a flood beam (providing kids with easy vision for reading or playing), an adjustable headband, and protected battery pack.

Lend your gear stash some color and panache with help from Outside Inside’s classic collection of Adventure Games. Whether your family is hanging out in the backyard, enjoying a campsite, or backpacking through the backcountry, you’ll have plenty of backpack-able games to liven up the great outdoors, from Backpack Cornhole ($31) to Freestyle Horseshoes ($37) to All-Terrain Basecamp Bocce ($42). The best part is, kids won’t have to open their gifts and then wait until the weather is conducive to wild adventures to enjoy these indoor-outdoor pastimes.