Leopard gecko - small (10" or less), non-aggressive, easy to handle, etc.

Here's a good caresheet: www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

I'd get just one and keep it in a 10-20 gallon tank. You could use an incandescent bulb in a dome light fixture to warm the tank. If your house stays in the 70s at night you could just run the light 12 hours during the day and turn it off at night using a lamp timer. If your house gets cooler than that, you could use a red bulb to provide heat at night. I don't like hot rocks or heat pads (like the author of the above link). Don't need UV lighting. Playsand for a substrate. Curved bark or stone cave for a hiding area. Crickets and mealworms for food. A calcium/d3 powder for a supplement.

These lizards generally poop in one corner all of the time, so cleanup is simple. Clean the water bowl as needed. Put some bugs in every couple days.

Simple.

Negatives: Leopard geckos are night animals. It won't come out during the day too often. Since kids are at school during the day, and are busy with other things on weekends, this may be a postive instead.

Good luck.

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