I have let my 7year old GD sew on an old Bernina sport that we bought at a school auction. It is a very simple, easy to use machine with only a few extra stitches. It was well made, easy to thread, and sews nicely. She is cautious about getting her fingers close to the needle, which is very important. I don't let her use the rotary cutter yet, I do all her cutting for the blocks. We started on pot holders, coasters, and lastly a doll quilt. She loved doing the machine quilting because she could go a little faster than I allowed on the quarter inch seams. If a child is interested, I'd let them do some sewing, with you very close and watching. Don't let them loose interest by putting them off for too long. My GD doesn't sew for a long period of time when she does sew, she says she get tired and needs a break, so it will take a while to complete a project, but I encourage her and she thinks she is great stuff! The young ones need a lot of patience and supervision from us, but they will carry on the art and pleasure of quilting.