[Ayles]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Is he into games?

If yes grab the Unity Engine and let him start there.

The biggest motivator is having something to show for your work

It's a serious bit of kit.

Unity - Game Engine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine)

I would vote for Unity. We have game developement contests where I work using unity. The teams can crank out a working mobile game in under a day.