Conkers are the seeds of the very stunning horse chestnut tree which arrived on Britain’s shores from South East Europe over 400 years ago. You’ll often find them in gardens of stately homes – but do beware if you decide to plant a seed to grow – the trees will get VERY big! 

 The majestic Horse Chestnut Tree drops its seeds at the end of September/October, so now is the time to get out there, look for the prickly outer cases that burst open to reveal shiny brown seeds and start collecting conkers. Best to take ones that are on the ground as these are likely to be ripe (and harder!)

 Conker games since 1848. Yes, the first game was centuries ago -and it took place on the Isle of Wight. When we were little we had loads of conker competitions. A bit of an old shoelace pushed through a conker and battered against that of your bestie pals. It can get a bit aggressive if the conker competitors are too eager, but it has always been a down-to-earth, very economical way to entertain the kids. 

 Conker game – find that special conker and drill a hole or push through a string or shoelace with a darning needle. Some people let them harden overnight, or you can start smashing straight away. The winner is the one that is most intact at the end of the competition. But how do you know which will be the hardest? Look for freshly dropped ones that are as round as possible and hard as possible. The nest ones will sink in a bowl of water. For more tips on conker games visit  The Woodland Trust Conker page

We also think there are so many things you can do with conkers other than smash them to smithereens so here is our top list of ideas – do let us know if you have more:

12 other things to do with conkers

1. Monitor your first conker sighting – this is something that the Woodland Trust encourage people to do with their Natures Calendar – there’s a link here if you want to record your first sighting: Natures Calendar at Woodland Trust   
2.  Keep spiders away – truth or fable? There is no scientific proof that spiders are repelled by conkers, but some do say they’ve seen that if spiders get up  close to a conker it will curl its legs up and die within one day. 
3.  Keep moths in wardrobes at bay? The horse chestnut seeds contain a chemical called triterpenoid saponin that wards off pests. So, if you have critters making a holey mess in your wardrobe, place fresh conkers in among your clothes and as they dry out they emit the moth-repellent. Don’t worry – you won’t smell it yourself! 
4.  Fix sprains and bruises – rumoured that the tree got its name because the seeds have an anti-inflammatory effect on sprains and bruises on horses. Aescin can be extracted, and it is an effective remedy for sprains and humans too – (but we have not tested out that theory!) 
5.  Create Christmas decorations – paint or spray them and use some ribbon to thread through the conker to hand on the tree.        
6.  Make a friendship bracelet. Decorate and string them before offering to your bestie friends.   
7.  Make a good luck charm necklace – it’s said to bring good luck to the wearer.   
8.  Play boules. Mark your conker boules with paint, set up some boundary lines in the garden or on the patio and get bowling. They don’t roll straight, which just adds to the chaos and fun!      
9. Make them a feature. Fill a tall glass with them and leave them on a windowsill or dinner table for an instant autumn injection.   
10. Colour a conker. Paint a conker and trail it around a piece of paper – or let them dry and create a jar of alternative colour for your window.   
11. Weave a web and make a spider! Create a spider’s web by attaching matchsticks all around your conker then weave yarn around the matchsticks to create a spidery web. They will be lovely Halloween decorations. You could also incorporate a conker spider on your pumpkin too:          
12.  Crack on with a conker count: we’ve spotted some great play ideas – and counting and making letters were two great examples. If you want to find out more visit: Making Danish – conker play ideas