Nursery World - EYFS Activities: Five ways to explore… conkers

Conkers have huge affordances – and luckily there is plenty of them right now, and they’re free! By Julie Mountain

1. CONKER BATTLE

So simple, and yet so much fun: conker battles are a traditional autumn game, and are perfectly safe (see below). Some people bake their conkers for hours, some pickle them in vinegar. Me, I just use a hand drill to make a hole through the middle, thread my string through and tie it off in a huge knot. The aim is to bash your opponent’s conker to pieces.

Good hand-eye co-ordination is required, along with patience and an agile wrist/elbow action; goggles and gloves are not essential (although see below for an alternative take on this). Using a hand drill is a great precision activity in itself.

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