Most of the major drum manufactures have "junior" drum kits that will come with all the cymbals, pedals, and other hardware you need to get started. Just like anything else in this world, you'll find lots of differing opinions, but Ludwig, Yamaha, and Pearl are a few well-known and well-respected brands.

I'd recommend going into your local music shop to look at kits and do some research, but I'd buy online to save a few bucks. I've had good experiences with Guitar Center.

Remember that when purchasing an entry-level kit, you're trading sound quality and life span for price. Drum sets are inherently pretty durable, but they aren't made to be abused -- they should be respected the same way a guitar, piano, violin, or any other 'fragile' instrument would be. I know this can be a tough concept to get through to a 10-year-old, but if you want the set to last it needs to be treated well. If you have trouble driving this home, maybe his drum teacher can back you up. :)

The most likely candidates for failure are low-end cymbals, which are machined from bronze or other alloys, and tend to be brittle. Don't be surprised if the cymbals develop cracks, or even split in half after a year (or even less) of heavy use. Also, you'll see a lot of maple sticks out there, which are great for finesse playing, but are very brittle. Pick up a few pairs of high-quality birch sticks. They'll still break, but not nearly as often or spectacularly. Oh, and drumheads... they can develop pits or even split over time. These failures happen even on top-end drum sets, and are just the nature of the beast. But they're even more likely to occur on a low-end kit. Just something to be aware of.

Final note: It can be tempting to buy "more drumset" than you need because you want it to last, but I'd still recommend starting with a beginner kit, and letting him grow out of it as his skill level, maturity, and interest level increase. When his crash cymbal breaks, pick up a higher-quality crash. When heads get pitted, pick up some nice two-ply heads. One of the great things about drums is that they are modular -- you can add pieces over time.

Best of luck! I know that was probably info overload, so let me know if you have any more questions!

Well, if you are looking for a junior drum kit, I suggest that you look at the "Stagg Junior Drum Kits". They are made for children, and aren't too expensive. Otherwise, I think it would be fine with a regular low-budget drum kit for the kids.

I started drumming when I was around 5... and I had a similar kit to this one.

http://drums-percussion.musiciansfriend.com/product/Pulse-4Piece-Junior-Drum-Set-with-Cymbals-?sku=583375&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=529831040

With this particular set, it taught me to respect the kit and take care of it - some of the kits are "cheesy" and if they seem too much like a toy - that is probably how I would have treated it. So, with all that said, I suppose it depends on the child and the environment. :-)

If you really want something that will hold up to years of abuse and still keep value, you'll have to be willing to spend a bit more. Although every major drum company has starter sets, I highly recommend DW's line of Pacific Drums, aka PDP. They are high quality; even the cymbals that come with the complete kits (which usually are terrible and paper-thin with other makers) are good enough to take heavy hitting.
I own a Pacific set, and I can personally vouch that they are great for beginners.
Another thing to keep in mind: if you're worried about abuse, drum-head manufacturers make heads especially for heavy-hitting players.