The Reel

The reel can be the big stumbling block. Here is the best advice for every beginner: ignore all of the reels you see that are expensive. What you want is called a closed-face push-button spincasting reel. There are several available in the $10 to $20 price range that are the best choices of all reels to learn fishing.
These are not the choice of most experienced anglers, and they will be likely to tell you to buy the reel design that they use. Just smile and say, "That's what I'll get next." There is way too much to learn first, and if you buy the push-button reel, you will spend your time learning to fish — not learning how to use a fancy reel.
However, the very least expensive push-button spincast reels are to be avoided. These often are sold with an accompanying cartoon character or otherwise are made to appeal to children. This is ironic, since they usually don't work well and could create a potentially life-long aversion to fishing for the child who experiences the sad disappointment of being unable to fish because the line won't come out of the reel. A rule of thumb is simply, the more you pay for these reels, the more likely they are to have sensible design. Among the least expensive reels that work well are the Shakespeare Synergy Steel 10 or Titanium (Ti) 10 series. These start at around $10 at discount stores. Most of the spincasting reels over $20 are "heavy duty" reels, designed for holding 12 to 14 pound line, and for first-timers, that line is too thick.