The great thing about lego's is, that they offer an easier way of moving things and creating kinetic motion besides electrically, and a little cheaper than the mindstorms kit.
Lego offers pneumatics. I had/have a lego set with pneumatics, and I remember when I got it, it was the coolest thing.
I found a link to the set I have:
http://www.bricklink.com/store.asp?p...4154164&rID=-2
While programming may be more your lines of expertise, than your daughters, the pneumatics part of lego can still accomplish way cool stuff, and is real simple to use.
All you need is some specialty lego parts; some lego technic piece, pneumatic pumps, and hoses, and a little air, and you can move stuff real easy.
This is a project which can be more suited for home use, but when I was younger the local college had a program for kids that age, and they still do called Kids on Campus. It was basically a science related summer program where you lerned all kinds of neat stuff.
One class was based on using lego kits, and making some really neat stuff.
I'm sure if your local university, or college doesn't have anything like that, then maybe the local park and rec does?