Toddler activities that don't involve TV or electronics

This summer Karl and I have been cut off from TV as we've been spending a lot of time in the mountains.  When we are back in NOVA I try to make sure that most of our activities include something hands-on and works the toddler mind.  Karl is so curious and wants to play all day.  It's so easy to get annoyed when I would much rather sit and read a book, but he is little for so short a time- I might as well indulge him by spending quality time together.

Here are three new activities that we tried and were met with success.

1)  Leaf Finding & Matching
The family set out for a walk in order to find leaves!  We looked for soft leaves, sharp leaves, big leaves, small leaves, different colored ones, etc.  Make sure that you get two of each kind.  When we got home I had Karl find two pieces of paper.  On one piece of paper the parent (Erik, in this case) glued down one of each leaf.  Karl then had to find its match and glue it on his paper.

Activity time:  2 hours (collecting, gluing, showing off)

I wish I had a better shot of his leaf pictures, but this is all I had.  I think Karl and Charlie look like they want to start some sort of gang. 

2) Tracing
This is an activity for kids a little older.  We are learning our shapes, numbers, and letters at the Sax house.  Karl pretends to write or draw certain things and they usually have no resemblance to what he says they are.  Today, I drew some shapes, letters, and numbers for Karl to trace.  He picked out his favorite marker and tried his best to trace.  They turned out pretty well!

Activity time: 20 minutes

3) Scavenger Hunt
I've always liked scavenger hunts and my mother even planned an awesome one for my 7th birthday where we followed clues all around the yard.  I figured out the last one and should have won the prize, but my parents told me it was rude (as I was the birthday girl and already getting presents), so I had to give it to gross stinky boy Adam Isley.

ANYWAY...I adapted the scavenger hunt for a toddler.   This is an activity that you will likely have to help them with (at the beginning) as Karl didn't quite understand that he had to look all over the room for what I wanted him to find.

For a toddler scavenger hunt I drew pictures of things that were in his room or somewhere in the house.  I asked him to tell me what each picture was and then had him try to find the items.  By the 4th drawing of different items he had figured it out.

After he had found the correct items I would then change it slightly and ask for a blue ball or a red car instead.

This was our first one (pardon the quick ugly drawings)