It depends on what she wants to accomplish ultimately. If she is seeking to build games from scratch, then making simple games is the best option here. Work your way up, hone your craft, go for a more complex project each time.
And one thing any would be game maker(solo and small teams) seriously need to know, is to understand the goal, the goal to create a game, and what it takes to reach that goal. When you are specialised in one particular aspect, in this case say programming, you tend to very easily underestimate the work needed to complete the the other parts. The most obvious, go to MODDB or any other modding websites, 95% of the mods say they have this "great idea," post some 3D models, and now revisit after a year, they're all dead. The reason is, although they all know how to model a character, none of them have even the slightest of idea of how to make a game. Programming, like modeling and setting up rule systems, is only ONE aspect of game making. Knowing how to program means you know how to program, it doesn't mean you know how to make a game. In fact it doesn't mean shit. Coming up with "teh awesome concept" doesn't mean shit. Modeling the coolest character the gaming industry has ever seen doesn't mean shit. The implementation of all the above in the game itself, THE GAME is what matters. If your goal is not to make a game, but to be part of the assembly line, then work as a specialist, as an asset to a game development team or corporation. Know the difference between the two and where your skills lie.