I think you get a better 'bang for your buck' with the Makerbot clones, like the Flashforge and Microcenter's, but I tend to lean toward printrbot's (Simple and Play) as they seem to be much more forgiving to the abuse that a first time user will put them through. They aren't the fastest, biggest or have the most filament choices, but they are a rugged, forgiving machine, and Brook's done a great job of offering a lot of cool upgrades for them too.

I'd say, maybe look at getting a Printrbot Play, see if they really enjoy it and use it, and then if they do, get a Makerbot Clone next birthday or Xmas