Good point Alex, except daddy has "no idea about telescopes"
however it's for that reason that a spotting scope, perhaps 2nd hand, does seem like a good option. Looks like a telescope (important for kids), will show the moon magnified and lots of stars when pointed at the Milky Way, will handle abuse OK, and will work well for general terrestrial viewing - so much to discover on the ground as well! Better IMHO than any dedicated astro instrument, for the OP's purposes.