I think given your experience level in terms of species and your children's age, a boa would be a great choice (But other options are still there if you wanted as mentioned in previous posts). There are a few choices you could go with, ranging from Columbian Boas (BCI), To larger locality types, sometimes referred to as "true red tails" (BCC) such as those from Guyana, Peru or Suriname, or even a Dumerils Boa can get to be a considerable size.
Of the 2 "red tail" boas, the BCC typically get larger and have a little bit more stringent/demanding care (from my albeit rather limited experience - I went from boas to giant pythons rather quickly). These are the ones known for the more vibrant and striking red colored tails, especially ones such as Pokigron Suriname specimens, for example.
BCI are considered the more "common" boa, and they come in assortment of patterns and color morphs. This was my first type of boa way back in the day.
Depending on which boa type above you were to go with, you could end up with a boa anywhere in the range of 6'-11', and could end up with considerable girth and weight for the size, especially for females. Any of these boas ending up at 10/11'+ are definitely much more rare, and would almost exclusively be a female BCC (not that there are not exceptions to the rule). Hope this helps.
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