I have an Orion 8 inch Dobsonian, they can sometimes be gotten off Craigs List fairly cheap, or online also. Probably about $350-$450. It's nice to just pop out to have a look without much setup.
I also have a Meade ETX125 with Autostar computer. Those are great for doing a lot of looking around but takes time to orient the computer.
Kids always love seeing things the first time. Even though the images are small, SEEING Jupiters moons night after night as little stars that are different each night is much more impressive than pictures are.
Pleades are very cool. Did you know that 'Subaru' is the name the Japanese gave to that star group? Take a look at the logo for Subaru. Look familiar?
