How old are the kids?
When they are small, they can't cock a spring piston gun or pump an air gun very well.
What I found when my kids were little is that while a red rider sorely lacks precision accuracy or power, it will consistently knock over a dixie cup at 20-30 feet which seems to be plenty entertaining for young kids. You really don't need a precision air rifle to teach them the basics of handling a rifle and hitting a target, nor do you need to put the targets too far away.
