gerbil or hamster

Question
I'm looking to get my son (10yrs) and daughter (8yrs) a pet gerbil or hamster.  They each want their own and they want a pet that is playful.  I want one that is low maintenance and doesn't smell.  Do you have a suggestion?

Answer
Well Gerbils are illegal in California so I don't know much about them. They can be very playful from what I have been told so I don't know.

Hamsters are cute but not very playful and like to bite. Gerbils are hardier and easier to care for (again from what I am told).

Both of them are rodents and rodents always smell if you don't keep their cages very clean.

The best pet my kids had (rodent-wise) was a rat named Splinter. Rats are very loving, easy to care for and fun. They don't live much longer than a hamster but some can live 4 yrs.

I have no idea how long Gerbils live but it's probably the same amount of time.
So figure 2-4 yrs.

Go to the pet store and ask them what they think too and play with what they have there.