As a dedicated beach cleaner, I’ve found far too many abandoned plastic sand toys over the years. In fact, it’s rare that I don’t come across at least one during a walk along the shoreline: a plastic shovel half-buried in the sand, a broken bucket near a collapsing sandcastle, or a dolphin sand mold lying among the cobblestones.

I’m sure anyone who cleans beaches in San Diego County has picked up their fair share, too. What many people may not realize is that toys left behind—whether intentionally or unintentionally—can be swept into the ocean when the tide comes in. Once in the marine environment, these colorful toys will break down into smaller and smaller pieces over time and will eventually becoming microplastics and even nanoplastics.

Over the years, I’ve asked city staff and council members about the possibility of installing a sand toy collection box in Oceanside. Another beach cleaner, Dawn Casillas—who’s well known locally for the beach toys she collects and gives away—has advocated for one as well. Neither of us had any luck. Until recently.

Jayme Timberlake, Coastal Zone Administrator for Oceanside, learned about the idea and offered to help. Not long after conversations with Jayme began, a Lauren Silver, a Girl Scout and junior in high school. reached out to the San Diego Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation for assistance with her Gold Award project. The Chapter’s beach cleanup coordinator introduced me to her via email and soon after, I agreed to be her official advisor because her project was exactly what we had been hoping to accomplish.

I may have been her advisor but the project was all Lauren’s. She designed, built, and decorated the box like a treasure chest, and she designed and worked with a printer to get the metal sign done and both came out even more amazing than I had imagined.

Something that once felt impossible suddenly became possible, thanks to Lauren’s efforts and Jayme’s willingness to collaborate. With community members pitching in to help maintain the box, it’s sure to be a success. In fact, it’s already a success. As soon as Lauren finished putting the lock on the box and putting up the sign, children started gathering around and their eyes widened when they realized they could borrow a toy or two.

We’ll be collecting data on things like the number of toys in the box, if anyone has dropped in it or if the box has been damaged. We’ll use that information to adjust the program as needed. The data will also help us show the effectiveness of the box, making it easier to advocate for placing similar boxes in more locations when the time is right for expanding the impact.

Now, children can grab a toy or two on their way to their spot on the beach and drop them off on their way back to the car after a long day of play. A couple who finds a toy while walking hand-in-hand at sunset can place it in the box for a toddler to enjoy the next day. Families with too many toys at home can donate theirs for others to use.

The box will not only bring joy, it will raise awareness about plastic pollution and will promote coastal stewardship—just by being there in the sand.