Hi Breanna,
I used to own a McSpaddenstandard hour-glass (spruce and walnut)dulcimer. My grandsons (beginning with the oldest who will be 18 this week) all learned to play on it. In fact, the oldest started "playing" when he was old enough to sit in my lap, with the dulcimer in his lap (probably about 18 months old at the time). He absolutely LOVED the dulcimer, and still does! While it did seem big for them, they quickly learned "Bile them Cabbage Down" and other simple tunes on it. It plays very easy and has a wonderful sound. Chords were a little more difficult for little fingers, but they were never afraid of it or discouraged by it. It now resides at their house - permanently. All 3 boys can play a variety of tunes. The 10 year old has been able to play Wildwood Flower for a year or so now.
I know there are different things to think about before buying an instrument, but I wanted to share my experiences with you. On a side note, the small dulcimers are fun, easy to travel with and I have a 3 string Ron Ewing dulcimette that my sister-in-law gave me and I happen to love it! I guess the reason I say this is - whatever you get, you probably will end up playing it too!
Good luck!
Cindy