TelescopeBinoculars.org

Hi jk -

Sounds like a lucky kid. The answers above represent good advice. However, I think it really depends on the kid and the parent. Some kids at age 10 are pretty responsible and have an attention span that will allow for the patience required in this hobby. Some parents are willing to share the hobby with their kids and take the time to learn it together. If you are fortunate enough to head up such a family, then you might consider one of the following:

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09814

http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=09964

These are both decent little scopes, and are both fairly easy to use. You are the only one who can determine if your son – and you – can spend the hours required to get started in the hobby.

Really, the best way to start is to take him to a local astronomy club observing session. If he enjoys looking through the scopes, and can handle the down times between targets, then go for it. If he becomes impatient and cranky, I would stick with binoculars.

There is no hurry to make this purchase. Patience will be rewarded.

A 10 years old kid is probably too young to use a telescope alone. He will have hard time finding anything and will quickly become frustrated. At this age, a pair of binoculars (7×50) is probably a better choce.

With adult supervision / help, there are many different scope that a 10 years old kid could enjoy. The recommendation depends on your budget (and willingness to invest your time and effort in using the scope with your kid).

A 10-year-old would probably get more frustration than enjoyment out of a telescope. A good telescope will cost at least $200, but most parents are unwilling to spend that much, leading to a frustrating junky toy.

A much better idea is to buy a pair of light-weight binoculars, something like 7×35 or 8×40. I got a lot of use out of my dad’s binoculars when I was that age. One big advantage is that they can be used for a lot of different things, whereas a telescope is pretty much for astronomy and nothing else. This is a neat kit with binoculars and some useful accessories:
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=binocular_standard/~pcategory=binoculars/~product_id=24685