It’s that time of year again where the conkers are laying in wait in the ground to be found again. One of my most treasured childhood memories is conker picking and as an adult, I still love it now!
So today I’m going to share with you some fun facts about conkers you may want to share with your little people and share some links of conker activities that may interest them!
Fact 1: There is a myth that Spiders do not like conkers! This is because of a rumoured chemical they are supposed to release, but if you hate spiders in your house, popping some conkers around could be a comfort to you! I just can’t promise it’ll work, but who knows?!
Fact 2: Conkers contain a poisonous chemical called Aesculin, so they can not be consumed! They can be poisonous to dogs too.
Fact 3: You can tell if a conker is good or bad inside, but carrying out the float test! Due to lack of density, damaged conkers will always float.
Fact 4: If your child is interested in playing conkers, you can harden conkers by soaking them in vinegar, baking them in the oven or if you have any old conkers for previous years, they work well too!
Fact 5: It is actually still a theory as to why the tree is called horse-chestnut.
Fact 6: Conker trees never originally grew in Britain, they were introduced in the 16th Century.
Fact 7: It can take twenty to fifty years for the trees to reach its full height.
Fact 8: In Spring, if a horse-chestnut tree is covered in lots of white blossom, it’s a sign there are plenty of conkers to come in Autumn.
Here are some conker activities your child may want to dive into this Autumn:
https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/09/conker-crafts/
https://thimbleandtwig.com/5-things-conkers/
http://www.allaboutkids.org.uk/2019/10/conker-play-ideas.html
