Getting Youngsters Started In Electronics?

Ratface asks: "Having seen the recent question about resources for interesting youngsters in astronomy, I wondered if the Slashdot readership had any thoughts about getting started in electronics. I remember building crystal radios at school and poring over the Maplin catalogue, but I never got much further than that. I would hope that nowadays there are some great resources for the budding hardware designer to get started with." I remember my first electronic circuit which I designed way back in junior high school for a science project. I dived head first into concepts that I wouldn't completely understand until college, but it was rewarding nonetheless. What suggestions do you readers out there have for getting youngsters started in electronics? Should they start with basic electronics kits or would something a bit more challenging hold their interest, longer?