Lego NXT! If you're not familiar, it's a lego robot. The programming is a high level visual block programming. So you programming with a flow chart, there loops decisions etc... you can actually create some pretty complex stuff. I think it's great to learn the concepts of how applications work. From there you can find C and C++ compilers for it, and I believe even a .net version. My nephew is has been obsessed with the thing for years now.