Well, well, ... I have so many viewpoints, I do not know where to start. This is just a random sample of a few (humble or not

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Once the shield is plugged on the Arduino, the rest is ONLY programming. Where is the electronic?
I think 7 sensors is overkill- Whether its a Hall, Temperature or LDR it is still an analogRead and the only difference is if you hold a magnet or candle to it. The 5 output units is more "rewarding" and thus more teachable.
I have helped/taught a number of grownups (yes, not the same as kids) to understand, and I can do plenty of exercises with basics 2 digital and one analog input and the Serial as output. OK, a RGB LED is more rewarding.
I saw some of comments about the pricing. The kickstarter price is of course "unreasonable" - the purpose is to raise money. The kit at their reseller is 25 - which seems fair to me.
Last but not at least : Why so much effort in starting an Arduino early? I can think of other buildingsets or teaching kits using a lot fewer/cheaper bits that will teach about technology.
And all above is just what I am thinking when looking at their pages.