I homeschool my kids and got these for whenever I am telling stories or otherwise can use them to help keep my girls' attention. They are absolutely adorable, are soft, and are bright and colorful. My daughters love when I make up little voices for them, and even make up their own stories about the little finger puppet animals. The animals are nicely varied, so they can be used to act out a lot of different stories, or to keep attention for other school lessons. They also work well for non-school hours, and can be used to both entertain and to foster creativity.