Timelapse and motion-activated photography are mainstays of the Raspberry Pi. It's a great, easy thing to set up that shows some basic programming while also giving instant results that allow for someone to have the confidence to go away and let it run in the long term. Anything more complicated takes a lot of extra work and making that can be a bit tricky though, especially when you want better quality photos and some degree of weather-proofing.
Naturebytes has your back. Recently Kickstarterd, the wildlife camera kit is designed to let you explore and experience nature and wildlife. It allows for motion-sensitive photography and video with hi-fidelity, and the kit not only comes in a way that's fun and easy to assemble, there's also educational content to help teach people of all skill levels how to code and take photos.
You can get Naturebytes now from their website. Maybe it would be a good stocking filler this Christmas?