These types of mills were used to help children to learn the milling profession through play…

Located behind the Jisperhuisje is a small play mill called ‘De Windhond’. By playing with these small mills, which were sometimes built on top of sheds, children were able to learn how to work with the wind. This particular specimen is a grinding and shell sand mill built in 1890, which is still used to grind roofing tiles. The mill is equipped with nine pounders and a grindstone. ‘De Windhond’ is a small, octagonal tower mill that was originally built by Jan Swart as a birthday present for his seven-year-old son. This gritstone or grinding mill was intended to enable children to trade in finely ground gritstone. This fine sand was an excellent abrasive and grinding material, and could be obtained by grinding up broken millstones from husking mills. It is the last remaining original gritstone mill in the Zaan region, and was formerly located on the Blauwe Pad in Zaandam, adjacent to mustard and spice mill ‘De Huisman’. The latter mill was relocated to the Zaanse Schans in 1955 and ‘De Windhond’ followed 10 years later, reuniting the mills once more.