Want to teach your toddler beach conservancy? Take him or her to the beach! Toddlers learn best through firsthand experience.

On your trip to the beach, first explain to your toddler the various creatures that live on the beach and in the water and depend on a healthy ecosystem for their lives. Together, search for the holes dug by burrowing crabs.

Point out the sea oats and explain how this native plant anchors the sand so that we are protected during big storms. Build a sandcastle with your toddler to help demonstrate the strength of sand dunes. Find empty seashells on the beach to show your toddler the houses that were used by a creature before it was outgrown and discarded for a bigger house.

If you see trash on the beach, pick it up and make a point of placing it in the proper cans so that your toddler will know where trash should go. Take all of your beach gear with you when you leave. Reinforce these ideas with each trip to the beach and Leave Only Footprints.