No doubt you've already looked into Ben Eater's various offerings (?).

I came across them (and they seem very cool!) but my working theory is that, in addition to more electronics heavy projects like those, I also want something that can fill the role of the apple ii plus that was the "family computer" when I was a kid without going straight to giving him access to a modern desktop/computer which feel so hermetic.

I'm somehow very confident in this while also being sure that people probably thought very similar things about home radios destroying the youth in the 1920s :D