Have Fun With Nature: How To Play Conkers

In an age where children spend a huge percentage of their free time playing with expensive computer games, it�s nice to know that some old-fashioned games are still being played outdoors and cost absolutely nothing.

During the fall, wherever you find horse chestnut trees you�ll find children playing conkers. It�s a game that was enjoyed by their parents, their grandparents, and even their great grandparents. Hopefully their own children will enjoy it one day, too.

What is A Conker?

A conker is a hard brown nut that�s encapsulated in a green, prickly case produced by the Horse Chestnut tree. The cases fall from trees when they�re ripe and can easily be collected from the ground.

In contrast to the nuts produced by the Sweet Chestnut tree, conkers are NOT fit for to be eaten by humans.

Choosing A Conker

If you�re serious about your game, choose your conkers carefully. The best ones are symmetrical in form, firm to the touch, and should be uncracked.

Use the water test. If a conker is damaged inside it will float in water so this is a good way of testing the density of your nut. Floaters should be discarded while those that sink to the bottom will be the hardest and the best.

Preparing A Conker for Play

Make a hole through the middle of your conker, going from the dull area at the top and down through the bottom. A thin skewer or hand-drill is useful for this.

Choose string that doesn�t break easily and thread a length about 12 inches long through the hole and tie a knot at one end to stop it from pulling through.

There are several ways to make your conkers harder, including:

Bake the conker in the oven on a low heat for 30 minutes

Soak the conker in vinegar overnight

Put conkers away to use the following year (they harden with age).

How To Play Conkers

Two players are needed, each with a conker of his own. Each player holds his conker from the string and attempts to hit the opposing conker.

If your conker is the one being hit, you should let it hang down with the string wrapped around two or three fingers to secure it�you don�t want your conker flying off when it�s hit! It�s up to your opponent to decide how high your conker should be held and it�s important it�s held still.

If you�re the striker, you should wrap the string around your hand in the same way as you would if your conker was being hit. You should then take the conker in your other hand and draw it back, ready to strike. As you release the conker, you should swing it down and try to hit your opponent�s conker. If you�re successful, this is called a strike. If you miss, you�re allowed two more goes before swapping positions.

If, when making a shot, the strings tangle together, the first player to call �strings� is awarded an extra shot.
If a player drops his conker or has it knocked out of his hand, the opposing player can call �stamps� and jump on it. End of one conker! However, if the owner calls �no stamps� first, the conker is safe (unless it smashed when it hit the ground, of course).

The game continues until one conker is completely destroyed; the one with the remaining conker is the winner.
Good luck!

~~+~~

>

Sharon Jacobsen is a freelancer writer living in South Cheshire, England. She is happy to write about any subject and offers compelling, keyword rich articles at highly competitive rates.

To receive a copy of Sharon�s current rate card and an obligation free quote, please visit

What You Need To Know About Rodeos
The perfect way to elate your spirits, the peculiar cowboys and cowgirls and their sturdy horses, their thrilling activities and the mind boggling music�the world of Rodeos is charismatic and bewitching in its own way. Initially Rodeos were associated with Texas only but now its events have spread their wings throughout the globe.

A Short Brush with the Past
The history of Rodeos can be traced back to 1854 when San Antonio hosted the foremost Texas Agricultural Fair which turned out to be a massive success and thereby took...

The Kenshiro Abbe 50th Celebrations
THE KENSHIRO ABBE 50th CELEBRATION EVENT
14th May 2005 Crystal Palace Sports Centre London. UK
By Henry Ellis

Henry Ellis, a direct student of the legendary Budo master Kenshiro Abbe Sense, from 1957 describes the great event at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre, London, to celebrate this great teacher and his arrival to Great Britain in 1955 and the subsequent inception of Aikido. Tribute website to Kenshiro Abbe Sensei at http://www.KenshiroAbbe.com . . .

The Bushido ZaZen International Society Annual Dinner

In February 2004 Derek Eastman and I were invited as guests at the annual dinner of The Bushido Za Zen International Society by its Ch...

Kayaking Gifts For Christmas
Finding good Christmas gifts ideas is easy if you think about a persons hobbies. If you are buying for person who enjoys kayaking, here are a few ideas for kayaking gifts.

Kayaking Gifts

Kayaking is a sport that appears to require relatively small amounts of equipment. In truth, it is much more than a paddle and a kayak, which provides you with a lot of potential gift ideas.

1. Drip Rings � Drip rings are placed on each end of a paddle and keep water from running back up the paddle to your hands. While this may sound odd given that you�re sitting in water, it is incredibly annoy...

GVO

Fishing - Fishing By Moon Phase: Increase Your Catch
Every fisherman dreams of a bigger catch! Is it possible to know beforehand when you should plan a trip to enjoy some fishing, catch more than usual, and come home feeling 100% satisfied? Based on my own personal research around the best fishing times, I think it is.

When I first starte...

Fishing - Outdoors Gifts
Outdoors gifts are some of the easiest to find and buy. The only limitation is your imagination and bank account.

Outdoors Gifts

In creating the foll...

Fishing - Communications Equipment In The Wilderness
Communications Equipment in the Wilderness
For Hunting, fishing, hiking, boating or cycling
By David Leonhardt

Communication in the wilde...

Fishing - Inflatable Pontoon Boats
Bryce Whitmore designed the modern whitewater inflatable pontoon boat, and in fact designed several models. The one that has been produced the most is a three-tube model of unparalleled maneuverability and load bearing capacity. This boat which is fourteen feet overall, can carry 6 passengers, their baggage, and a guide.

Not all Pontoon boats are 14 feet long. Some are 8 or 9 feet long as well. Pontoon boats come in all sizes and prices from $200 to $1,000. Users looking for an 8 foot P...

Fishing - Fly Fishing Journals � Keep Track Of Your Trips
Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop. Whether you are going to the
local water hole or to Alaska, you should use a fly fishing journa...

Fishing - Fit The Fishing Rod To The Fishing Task
See yourself standing on the bank of a swiftly moving stream in the shade of a gnarled willow, your fishing rod bent beneath the weight of an unusually large catch.

Whether or not you land that fish depends on the decisions you made at the shop -- primarily the type of rod.

The ABCs Of Fishing Rods

Your rod is the most important tool you will use while fishing, and you can chose from a wide range of types, styles and lengths.

A fishing rod is a shaft of graphite, fiberglass, steel, wood or bamboo used to catch fish (duh). Fishing filament (line), is threaded through the ferrules (eyes) along the rod. The ferrule at the tip directs the cast. 1 end of the line winds around ...

Fishing - What You Need To Know About Deep Fishing.
The equipment used to deep fish is basically the same as other fishing equipment. In deep fishing, though, the equipment has to be suited to fishing in the depths of the water. The line need to be stronger because the fish are stronger and larger. Instead of a pole, a hand reel is used. The hand reel is attached to the boat and reels in the line. The set up of deep fishing equipment starts with the mainline. The main line attaches to the hand reel and needs to be long enough to go the required depth. Attached to the mainline is the terminal rig. The terminal rig holds smaller line, called trace lines. These trace lines hold the hooks and bait. Some fisherman also attach a ...