A paper wallet maybe the best option for op
Yes, but it is too complicated to generate secure paper wallet for average person
Hmm... maybe, It's definitely daunting at first. Just try send a little bit of BTC to test it out; if nobody nabs it after a while, keep topping it up bit by bit and you should be fine. The first thing to remember is just read as much info as you can about wallets and safely storing them. It seems impossible to be able to store them safely at first, but you quickly gain confidence.
Could I try buying a few mBTC, put it on a USB Wallet and bounce it back and forth between the USB Wallet and my blockchain.info Wallet, just to get a feel for how BTC transactions work? Is that a good idea?
Yes, you could do that, or get another cheaper Cryptocoin to play around with. FTC and IFC both use the same wallet applications, so if you get used to one you'll be used to 'em all, and if you do somehow lose the coins it wont be as bad as losing any BTC. You can usually get free IFC sent to you from people on these forums. Just keep an eye out for giveaways.