Hi,
a long time ago, my father made me a tool box. It contained a hand drill, some drill bits, a wooden handled screw driver a tenon saw and a hammer. I was about eight years old, end of the fifties, not much plastic about. My prised possessions allowed me, with discrete paternal assistance to build a desk. The beginning of tool mania, which I'm all set to pass on to my grandsons! I couldn't do it for my son, we lived in different countries, but he is doing more and more, the telephone lines under the channel are responsible for a lot of things getting done "Dad how do I"...... Generations of metalworkers!
Give them real tools as young as is safe and they can do things with them. Teach them to look after them and they will love it and you for having opened the door!
Regards, Matthew.