Continent: Asia

Country: Russia

Book: The Littlest Matryoshka by Corine Demas Bliss, pg.25

 Materials

• Four to six cans in various sizes that fit one inside the other (e.g., coffee can, vegetable can, frozen juice can, cat food can, film canister, etc.). The largest can should have a lid.  Coffee cans work well, or paper cups in various sizes may be used instead.
•  Black fine-line felt tip marker
• Multicolored markers
• Scotch tape or glue dots
• A cork
• Colored construction paper
• Electrical tape or ribbon for edges
• Nesting Doll Templates

Directions

1. Empty and clean all cans. Cover rough edges of cans with electrical tape; cover cans with colored construction paper.
2. Cut out templates for faces and decorations and adjust for size of can. Make sure they are long enough to go around the can, allowing for a 1-inch overlap.
3. Color in the templates with colored markers.
4. Attach the “faces” onto the cans with tape or glue dots.
5. Nest the dolls inside each other. 

Note: This project also works well for stories like “The Three Bears” and the “Three Billy Goats Gruff.”

From the top, looking inside the nested dolls.

Nesting Doll Templates