This is soooo cool. I have been teaching my son about programming using Scratch.
The biggest problem is the huge gap between the kinds of programs a kid can make vs. the kind he can easily download. When I was a kid the kind of programs you could type into a C64 were not that different than anything you might get, so you had an incentive to learn how to do that.
Using Scratch to control hardware could be a really appealing way for them to learn about programming.
A favorite memory of mine is building an RC monster truck with my dad when I was a kid. Combining physical projects with Scratch sounds like something I would have loved. (Who am I kidding, I'm excited to do this myself as soon as I have some spare time :)
The biggest problem is the huge gap between the kinds of programs a kid can make vs. the kind he can easily download. When I was a kid the kind of programs you could type into a C64 were not that different than anything you might get, so you had an incentive to learn how to do that.
Using Scratch to control hardware could be a really appealing way for them to learn about programming.