I'm a homeschooling mother of 6. We incorporate art skills into our lessons every day by sketching, coloring, and/or painting illustrations of the things we are learning about. These oil pastels are perfect for my little guys (ages 3 and 4) because they are much longer and thicker than regular art pastels. These pastels are rich in color, and are just as blendable as any other oil pastels we use. My little guys like being able to do pastel drawings just like their older siblings, and they are becoming quite good at blending colors and using different types of strokes and different amounts of pressure. My 4-year-old even decided to peel the paper off of his so that he could rub them flat on the paper for coloring large areas, just like his 13-year-old sister does with her pastels (she has a set of Pentel). These have been a perfect art supply for our homeschool and have really helped my children with their art skills, and inspired their creativity. And, they are of such a fine quality, all the children are able to use these (up to age 18). I am so perfectly pleased with these--and the price is fantastic! Excellent value!