I started on tractors... 7 or 8 years old, 1947 IH model A.. still have that tractor too! Now all the nieces and nephews come over and I toss'em on the A and we go for laps around the farm. They love it! A few years back I tossed my oldest niece on the A and the 3 others on the cub cadets! I hitched a small trailer to the A and tossed in some hay bales for the parents for a seat.

The kids drove the wheels off of them! Of course I only let them use first gear so things happen a lot slower. But the kids enjoy it almost as much as I do..

I think I was 10? 11? 12?.. when I first drove the farm trucks during haying. My Dad and Uncle were always on me for riding the clutch.. even when my foot wasn't near the pedal ! I learned early on great throttle control because if you shook the truck when it was almost loaded, you'd shake the bales off and then there was hell to pay!

I'd think if you can find a suitable location, let him try it and see how it goes. My 2 cents..