My 2yr old LOVES these. They stand on their own, are not too hard nor too soft. I don't think I'll have to worry about a cow putting a hole in the wall in the midst of a temper tantrum. These are sized appropriately (horse is bigger than cow, pig bigger than chicken, etc.) and they fit right in with the set of jungle animals. I really want to get all the sets, they are great quality and I think they will last a long time.