I don't really have a suggestion for a motivating goal (like a game), but my first thought is Linux not Windows or macOS. I 'cut my teeth' on Windows, but you just end up with pointless techniques/'skills' with no understanding like 'try rebooting', 'clear registry' etc. and simply setting an environment variable is made to seem like some mystifyingly advanced thing.
Second thought is Raspberry Pi - through a combination of cost & GPIO. You didn't mention hardware, but with 'computers' at the user-friendly stage they are today, that's probably the best way to recreate the feeling you want? Tinkering on the computer resulting in some real life visual/audible/etc. output. (Or RL sensors making something happen on the computer.)
Second thought is Raspberry Pi - through a combination of cost & GPIO. You didn't mention hardware, but with 'computers' at the user-friendly stage they are today, that's probably the best way to recreate the feeling you want? Tinkering on the computer resulting in some real life visual/audible/etc. output. (Or RL sensors making something happen on the computer.)