turned wood toy rolling pins

Medley of Children’s Rolling Pins

I got an e-mail from a Waldorf school teacher who wanted 25 rolling pins to give to her students aged 3 to 7 for their birthdays. What a nice idea. So I wanted each one to be different and each to be nicely finished. It is so important to let children be exposed to nice things, even every day tools. Children may not express it but they do see subtle differences and only years later may remember a special object that made a deep impression on them.

The woods include box elder, walnut, tiger maple, sugar maple, ash, elm and cherry. They are large enough to be functional but are clearly child size with handles to fit their little hands. It was fun turning the rolling pins imagining the little hands grasping the handles and trying to decide just how long to make the handles. They measure between 6 and 10 inches in total length. The French style rolling pins have a longer rolling surface than the ones with handles. Professional bakers prefer the French style. Not only do you have a wider rolling surface but no sharp corners to tear the pastry when you roll it up on the pin to unroll it on the pie pan. The lemon is to give an indication of size.

turned wood toy rolling pins

turned wood toy rolling pins