How to Make Autumn Conkers

Since the 16th century, British children have played the autumn game of conkers. In the fall the ripened conkers, or horse chestnuts, are harvested by children in preparation for play. Attached to a shoelace, the horse chestnut becomes a favorite game of skill that earns its name from William the Conquerer.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Horse chestnuts
• Metal skewer or drill
• Shoelaces

Making Your Conker

1. Gather ripened horse chestnuts that have fallen from the tree. If you do not have horse chestnuts, sweet chestnuts will also do. These nuts are also available at your local supermarket, if you are unable to obtain them naturally.

2. Peel the horse chestnut from its shell. If you are unfamiliar with horse chestnuts, they naturally occur inside of a casing that resembles a piece of fruit. Store bought horse chestnuts generally have been removed from this casing.

3. Pierce a hole through the meaty center of the horse chestnut using a metal skewer. You can also drill a small hole with a drill if you so choose.

4. Thread the shoelace through the hole in the center of the horse chestnut and tie a large knot at the bottom to prevent it from slipping back through the hole during play.

5. Your conker is now ready to be used, and you can follow the same instructions for as many conkers as you choose to make.

How to Play

6. Begin the game by one person holding their conker at arms length.

7. The second player attempts to hit the first player's conker with theirs.

8. Continue playing until one of the conkers is destroyed.

Tips & Warnings

• Horse chestnuts can be harvested, peeled and stored away in an air-tight container for future use.
• Horse chestnuts are poisonous, so refrain from eating them.
• Try not to allow the game to get out of hand, and only use your conker to hit the other conker. Refrain from using it as a weapon!