It's conker season! Here's 5 creative conker crafts for kids
If you go out to the woods today, you're bound to find the floor covered in conkers! While the traditional game of conkers has fallen out of favour due to health and safety concerns (there's no official law or ban, but many schools don't allow it in the playground), there are still plenty of ways for kids to have fun with this natural abundance.
We've rounded up some of our favourite creative ways to make use of conkers, so next time you're heading out on an autumn walk with the kids, keep an eye out for those horse chestnut trees!
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Fun fact: This autumn has seen a bumper crop of conkers from horse chestnut trees. As a result of the hot, dry summer, the leaves dried up and turned brown earlier. This meant that the trees put all their effort into setting seed, meaning plenty of conkers.
Safety first
If you do want to play the game of conkers (eye protection is advised) or try some of these other creative crafts, you'll need to drill a hole in your conker. You need to be careful with this as it's easy to slip and hurt yourself, so it should always be done by an adult or under adult supervision.
To make your life easier, you can buy this Chestnut holder and nail drill set from Amazon, which comes with everything you need to safely create a hole in a conker by hand.
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Make some super-cute conker hedgehogs!
You only need a black sharpie and some white paint (or a fine white paint pen) to turn some plain conkers into the cutest little hedgehogs. These adorable creations will keep kids entertained, and they'll love giving them out to their friends in the playground.
Check out the Super-cute conker hedgehog tutorial at masandpas.com
Create conker toadstools
If you're looking for a fun(gi) way to keep kids entertained with conkers, they'll love making these conker toadstools. It's actually incredibly simple, and all you need is conkers and paint, plus an old egg box, which will make the toadstool stalk.
The classic red and white of the fly agaric mushroom is perhaps the most iconic, but why not use it as an opportunity to teach kids about the different types? There are so many varieties to be found in the mushroom world.
Find instructions for these Conker toadstools and many more ideas at childsplayabc.wordpress.com
Make a mandala
Perhaps you want a way for kids to play with conkers without them coming home and getting messy with paint or drilling holes. Then encourage them to try making a conker mandala!
Mandalas are geometric circular designs found in Hinduism and Buddhism, often used for meditation purposes and creating a sacred space. Not only do they look amazing, but making a mandala using natural objects requires time and attention, perfect for keeping kids engaged.
You can also use extra natural elements to make your mandala. Husks, leaves, and twigs will all help to add different colours and shapes.
Take a look at this incredible Conker tree mandala by Keith Beaney
Design your own conker creatures
With the help of some extra sticks, leaves, feathers and anything else they can find while out on a walk, challenge your kids to come up with their own unique conker creatures. Think conker spiders with sticks for legs, or even a conker reindeer!
Adults might need to help younger kids with making holes or using glue with their conkers, but the only other limits are their imagination!
Get inspired by these Conker creatures from Rhubarbandwren.com
Go glam with a conker necklace
If your little ones love playing dress-up, then they'll love making a simple conker necklace. All you need to do is make holes going through the conker and then thread a length of string or cord through them.
For added creativity, let the kids decorate their conkers with paints, or try foraging for other items like acorns that could also be used as beads.
Find out more about how to make a Conker necklace at woodlandtrust.org.
Creative conker crafts for adults
Feel like getting creative yourself? Unlike edible chestnuts, horse chestnuts belong to the soapberry family... and as the name suggests, you can actually make Horse chestnut soap – totallywilduk.co.uk shows you how!
Horse chestnuts and sweet chestnuts – what's the difference?
We all know a conker when we see one, and those come from the horse chestnut tree. But, be aware that these are not edible; in fact, despite the name, it's not recommended for horses to eat them either.
They get their name from two main sources: the scar left on a twig when the chestnuts fall resembles a horseshoe shape, and they were used as an early medicinal cough recipe for horses.
Sweet chestnuts are edible, and these are the ones you hear of 'roasting on an open fire'. While conkers are largely spherical, sweet chestnuts are slightly flattened and have a point at the tip, which is often hairy.
If you're good with trees, then you can tell the difference by looking at the leaves, but an easy way to distinguish them is to look at the spiky casing (or pericarp) of the chestnut or conker. If it's got spaced out, short thorn-like spikes on a leathery husk, then it's a horse chestnut. If it's packed full of long, needle-like spines resembling a greenish-brown hedgehog, then it's a sweet chestnut.
A final note about foraging – Remember that although there will be lots of them, conkers are seeds and do serve a purpose. While they are toxic to lots of animals (including dogs), they still act as food for some animals, such as deer, as well as being part of the larger ecosystem, so be mindful with your collecting. Remember to only take what you need, and never clear an area: a good foraging rule is to never take more than half (or even a third) of what you find.
Get outside and get creative!
Now is the perfect time to venture outside and marvel at the autumnal beauty of nature – it's not only good exercise, but all those changing colours and natural transformations are incredibly inspiring.
Before you head out for your walk, take a look at our 31 easy fall crafts for kids to keep them entertained all autumn!
