Once upon a time there were nesting dolls
The comic “Once upon a time there were nesting dolls” tells an amazing story about wealth that cannot be bought because it is priceless, and is called happiness. The musical film, rich in Russian folk melodies, was shot by director Caesar Orshansky at the Kyiv Nauchfilm studio. The characters in the film are very unconventional: the beautiful and pompous Matryoshka sisters, the cheerful boy Vanka-Vstanka and the Dymkovo toys.
At the beginning of the film, viewers are introduced to the four Matryoshka sisters. The eldest is the most hardworking and efficient, the middle ones have less ability to run a home in accordance with their age - the younger they are, the less abilities they have, and the youngest does not have these qualities at all, since she is an excellent singer. However, this quality is not very highly valued in their native village and region. No one noticed that her talent helps everyone, improves their mood and brings a smile to people’s faces. When she sings, the work goes easier, everything comes into her hands. Who can explain this to anyone, let alone the suitors who came to ask her sisters as wives? The elder sister had a lot of them, more than anyone, but no one came to the younger sister. Therefore, the elder sister decided that none of them would marry until she found a groom.
She said so, but no one shook hands with the younger sister, and the older sisters sat and sighed - they grieved and cried. The youngest nesting doll saw this and decided to open the way to the wedding - she jumped from the bridge into the river. But it was difficult for the doll from the wooden nest to drown, but it was easy for her to swim. She swam to the village where a strange boy named Vanya lived. He performed all kinds of tricks and made people laugh.
And so it happened that Vanka found a singing nesting doll and brought it home. This is how it happens sometimes - you need to take a bold step to find your happiness!
But the story doesn’t end there; to find out the continuation, you need to watch the cartoon “Once Upon a Time, Matryoshkas”. Many adventures await them, and the Smoky Horseman is already galloping to the newlyweds’ house, but he will not come to them with good intentions...
As for a children's film, the screenwriter of this very philosophical fairy tale is Alexander Kurlyandsky, the same one who wrote the popular animated series “Well, wait a minute!” There are also adventures and chases here, but this story is more human, emotions are taken from people’s lives, so sacrifice, loyalty and love are in order here.
How to play with a matryoshka doll in kindergarten
This famous toy can be used in kindergarten to teach counting and develop fine motor skills. Children are told riddles about the doll, learn rhymes, dance in circles and play games. You can build a whole lesson around a matryoshka doll. And in his script, use thematic music (folk and original), counting rhymes, riddles, and sayings.
There are many songs about the “Russian doll”. For example, “We are nesting dolls, these are the little ones”, “Matryoshka” (Yu. Verizhnikov), “Russian nesting doll” (folk song) and others. “Russian nesting dolls” on Youtube with 4.5 million views. I don’t really like it; the performers do not pronounce “S” and “Sh” clearly. I wouldn't want children to pick up this pronunciation.
There are a great many mysteries on this topic. For example, they can be taken from here and here . Children usually enjoy activities with a bright, eye-catching toy.
Important! Follow safety precautions when playing. It is better not to give babies a matryoshka “baby” the size of a fingernail; it can easily be stuck in the nose or ear. Small natural material for decorating flat matryoshka dolls is best given to children after 3-4 years of age.
By the way, wooden figurines are not the only form of matryoshka. You can play with other options. For example:
- We make fairly large flat blanks of nesting dolls from cardboard. Let's paint them.
- Children will decorate the blanks using modeling and natural materials. To do this, we distribute plasticine, peas, beans, and coffee beans.
- We show how to glue a plasticine base to a flat piece, and attach “decorations” in the form of grains and peas to it.
There are a lot of didactic games with Russian nesting dolls. For example, “Pick up a skirt,” when you need to assemble sets from a cardboard (or wooden) top and bottom. Or fun with rag nesting dolls, when they need to be folded in pairs, small ones in pockets next to large ones.
With the help of dolls you can study arithmetic. For example, this set of 5 traditional dolls will help. I’m just crazy about this children’s play set “Bunny” I also recommend the tutorial for the application “Funny Matryoshkas” . Suitable for children from 3 years old.
“Funny nesting dolls” is an educational activity for children 3 years old.
Author: Tatyana Nalivaykina Published March 26, 2015
Playing is a very serious activity for a child. During the game, the child learns about the world around him through perception, imaginative thinking, and imagination. It develops memory, attention, speech, intelligence and imagination. Children who are “deprived” of play and storytelling do not adapt well to school and do not find contact with their peers.
If you want to teach a child something, you need to interest him and make learning fun. It is desirable that the equipment be bright, colorful and noticeable in the game. It’s great if these are toys that he can make with his own hands or with the help of older brothers (sisters), it’s good if these toys can be assembled or disassembled.
What else to read: Organizing a story game in kindergarten
When teaching one-on-one with a three- or four-year-old, it is much more difficult to get their attention than when working with a group. A child is characterized by rapid changes in moods and feelings. Therefore, we must take into account many features related to age and personality.
Our session is divided into separate mini-games. Each game will last from 2 to 5 minutes. We have tried to include basic activities for the development of a child aged three to four years. And, of course, a prerequisite for each event is a good mood, a friendly atmosphere and fun.
Matryoshka dolls are the “heroes” of our activities. They will help to combine them thematically, make them imaginative and interesting for the child.
Russian matryoshka at home and in kindergarten
Several generations of children enjoyed playing with the doll. Nowadays games are a bit of a thing of the past. But in vain, the detachable figurine has a huge developmental effect. It is environmentally friendly and safe for children. Develops movements, perception, tactile sensations and mental abilities, trains the muscles of the fingers. The toy can be recommended as one of the first in a baby’s life.
With the help of figures you can explain the concepts of “big and small”. With them, the child learns to play role-playing games - in a family with a mother and several children. To prevent the baby from losing interest, it is better to hide the nesting doll after playing. There are many games, they are divided according to the age of the children. For example, babies under 1 year old will be interested in the following:
- We teach the child to open and close the halves. Be surprised and happy when there is something inside.
- We show that the halves should fit each other. If this is not the case, the pupa will not be collected.
- We voice: “The baby nesting doll is scared, she needs to be hidden in a larger doll.” Let the child figure out what to invest where.
- When the baby is not in the room, we place the toys in a visible place. And then we ask him to find the lost sisters.
With the help of figures you can teach children 2-3 years old. There are more games for them. Eg:
- We suggest arranging the dolls by height, let them go somewhere. When they go in the opposite direction, let them line up in the reverse order.
- We arrange toys according to height and forget one. Let the baby put it in place.
- We trace the bases of the nesting dolls on paper. These will be the “chairs” around the table. We ask the child to seat the dolls on chairs.
- If there are two sets of nesting dolls, you can mix them and ask your child to sort them. An option is to arrange them in pairs according to height.
- We explain the concepts of “higher-lower”, “more-less”, “inside-outside”, “right-left”. And then we ask questions on the topic, placing the nesting dolls in different ways.
For older children, toys help develop creativity. The blanks can be painted. Games for children 3-4 years old:
- Let's learn to count. We put beads inside the nesting dolls and write the quantity on the bottom. Then with the child we count how many there actually are.
- We play out role-playing situations (in the family, on the playground, etc.).
Features of folk crafts
The toy is made from linden, birch or alder. The workpiece is polished and primed. It is painted by the artist with a variety of paints: aniline, oil, gouache. The last option is the most popular. Then the detachable dolls are opened with varnish. Usually there are 6-8 of them in one set. Although there are options for 25 or more pieces. The completeness depends on what the author came up with and his skill.
The largest Russian nesting doll was made in Semenov. Or rather, one set consisting of 56 dolls. The first matryoshka has a height of about a meter, the last is no more than a pea. According to other sources, Semyonov craftsmen made a set of 72 figures for the Expo 1970 exhibition in Tokyo. We must pay tribute to the Chinese too. In one of the country's amusement parks there is a giant matryoshka doll 30 m high. This is not a toy, but a building with an area of 3200 m². An overgrown matryoshka was included in the Guinness Book of Records.
In our country there are several museums that allow us to trace the history of the traditional painted nesting doll. For example, the exhibition in Semenov presents decorative dolls from Russian craftsmen from different regions. There are museums in Moscow, Kalyazin, Nizhny Novgorod, Sergiev Posad, Voznesensk.
Matryoshka dolls have become the most popular Russian souvenir in the world. They are gladly taken abroad as gifts and for collectors. 60% of Semenovsk products are exported. The secret is simple. The doll is an example of folk talent, often simple-minded, but multifaceted. She is amazing and unique. The fishery gained worldwide fame in 1900, when it won a medal at the World Exhibition in Paris. And 5 years later, a nesting doll shop opened in this city.
