For beginners, Python is not what I'd suggest.

I like javascript for beginners.

It's not tightly typed, meaning you can experiment with variables of different types without worrying about what types they currently are. It's very fast, browser based (mostly), and it's really easy to learn.

Additionally, you can learn regular scripting (non procedural), procedural (where you define the functions and call them as needed), and object oriented paradigms (I like Class.js for this).

You can use tools like CodeRun (http://coderun.com/) to write and test code online without needing any OS based tools.

Finally, it's probably the most documented language on the planet because it's so widely used.