RE: .22 for kids
my grandson (10yrs young) has a cricket, its a neat little gun around 100 bucks, the sights are a little chessy[:'(], i also bought him a birchwood casey resetable target, and it is neat. i like a 10/22 ruger and its only 60 something bucks more but maybe a little big for a youngster.
good luck, and let us know what you end up with