Small projects - conkers

Amy Turn Sharp of Little Alouette makes beautiful wooden toys and teethers for wee ones. You can see them on her website or pick them up for the babies in your life from her shop. 

Amy: My husband grew up in the North of England. He likes to share British traditions with our family. Conkers is a fabulous British game that children all over the island play with glee in the autumn.

Conkers are horse chestnuts or buckeyes here in the states. Conkers is a playground game of skill that is simple to play and fiercely competitive!

 The only items needed are conkers, string, and some determination.

1. Choose some perfect conkers. This makes for a lovely walk through the woods together! Find firm, symmetrical, and un-cracked conkers.
2. Drill or push small hole through the conker from top to bottom. (Metal skewers work as well as a drill!)
3. Insert thin shoestring or twine through the conker and knot the end. (About 24 inches is perfect length)
4. Player one  dangles the string with attached conker while the other person swings their conker, trying to make contact and break the conker! Each player can have three turns to try and defeat and crack the conker!
5. The victor is the one to destroy the others conker first!

There is a National Conkers Championship each October in England. 

It is some serious sport there! We just hope you have fun in the woods and playing a natural game.

Xo The Sharp Family

Little Alouette

Comments

[Kim]

Ok, we are SO playing this. There is a Chestnut tree that we pass everyday on our way to and from Kindergarten. My kids will love this!

[nosheen iqbal]

i used to love playing conkers!!! so much fun!

[Victoria]

This sounds like so much fun... I have to admit that even growing up "in the sticks", I have never played this game!!! Thanks for the idea...

[Deb]

Oh, I've only just seen this! This is why my blog is called Kickcan (kick-the-can) and conkers. I grew up in the north of England and played this as a kid too. Loved it :)