I agree with those emphasizing that it needs to be fun and engaging before it can be anything else. Lego has a great path to go from basic Lego up into program

I agree with those emphasizing that it needs to be fun and engaging before it can be anything else. Lego has a great path to go from basic Lego up into programming and robotics. And Lego Technic is just great. Lego -> Lego Technic -> Lego WeDo -> Mindstorm -> Scratch/ Raspberry Pi For example I'm now helping my son "activate" his store-bought Lego castle sets by connecting Scratch programs to Lego Technic motors via the Lego WeDo USB hub. With that we can sense the cat walking by, automate machine gun fire, etc. The cat is really happy about that.