My suggestion is to get a device that can do the stuff kids want, but just barely do the things they want.

I probably spent more time tinkering around the family computer than anything else as a kid just to get games way over-spec to run on it. Throughout that process I learned programming, hex editing, and some Linux system administration, which eventually led me to my current career.

These days, it’s probably a lot easier to get started with a raspberry pi. But without something to motivate people to learn tech, why would they do it in the first place?