Kid Kayak
If your child or preteen objects to wearing a PFD, has not demonstrated to you that he or she can handle their own kayak, then maybe they're not ready. Perhaps some lessons may be in order before buying one for them. This is an important decision - it's not like deciding on whether they can have that bag of potato chips before dinner!
Parents . . . children have to be responsible paddlers, wear a properly fitted PFD, know basic safety skills, stay within the boundaries that you decide and never paddle alone - Period.
Having said that . . . when they are ready for their own kayak . . .
Sit-On-Tops are probably the best choice due to their stable platform and open designs. They are easier for children to upright after they are overturned. The child may get dumped (probably by choice) but most often the kayak ends upright - the child just climbs back on.
Children or youth sized kayaks are also designed with closed cockpits. They are commonly manufactured in plastic (rotomolded), fiberglass and inflatable materials. All are generally lightweight but if weight is a factor, an inflatable may be the answer. If this is the case, see: Inflatable Kayaks. Here's a link to REI's large selection of kayaks (for all ages): Kayaking & Canoeing
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