Conkers is a traditional autumn game for children in the United Kingdom. A conker is a horse chestnut seed. Two players take part in a game, each using a conker with a hole bored through it and threaded onto a string about 20 inches (50 centimeters) long. One player holds a conker on its string at about chest height. The other takes aim and swings his or her own conker at it. They take turns at hitting until one conker smashes the other. A conker’s worth is measured by the number of conkers it has shattered. Players prepare conkers by soaking them in vinegar, baking them in an oven, or storing them unused for several seasons.
