Photo Ideas for kids field trip?

I sponsor a photography club for 13 and 14 year olds at my jr. high school. Each year we take a field trip to a nearby state park. (Bull Shoals State Park in Arkansas) I always give them a list of things to photograph, kind of like a scavenger hunt. We have learned about changing your perspective, getting close, leading lines, framing etc. I mostly just do things about composition since most of the students are using their phone to take pictures because that is what they have. I always have them look for the birds that I know will be around like Great Blue Herons, Blue birds, woodpeckers and Bald Eagles since there is a nest nearby. I am going to try to make my list shorter, but more meaningful this year. Does anyone have any ideas for me?
Thanks for any ideas that you might be willing to share!

Marjie, have a look at our long list of Weekly Challenge themes - I bet you might find some ideas there!

 

Hi Marjie,  When I lead photography workshops, one of the first things I say is that it's not the equipment that makes a good photo, it's the photographer and knowing the capabilities and limits of the equipment.  In a workshop that I ran on the last two Saturdays, one participant was using her cell phone getting in close to the spring wildflowers with some nice results and then backed out to photograph the masses of bluebells.  I think your emphasis on composition is perfect.  Without knowing the park, it's hard to offer specific ideas, but I'd suggest thinking about details, are there small ponds or waterways, what time of day (lighting conditions) will you be there, thinking about masses of cattail blooms or phragmites.  I thoroughly enjoy the spring colors shown by the trees during the early and even middle stages of leaf growth.  Getting close enough to birds with a cell phone camera may be quite a challenge. 
 

Thanks Mark and Jim. Good ideas!

How about looking for letters or numbers in natural objects?

How about using shadows as a main compositional element?
--P