It’s the most wonderful time of Autumn. The colours are amazing, it smells earthy and fresh, the last summer sun appears and it’s time to go bonkers and collect conkers!
Why the fascination with conkers? Is it the smooth texture? Or the beautiful deep brown colours? Or is the size of it, it can rest so well in hands big or small and so easy to put in your pocket and feel when standing in a queue or bored talking to someone? Or is the tonnes of fun we can have with them? Perhaps it’s the shared experience of collecting them together on a sunny crispy autumn’s day? Well, I think it is all of them – they are truly just magical!
Here are our top ideas of what you can do with conkers:
• There is nothing better than putting on your wellingtons and go ‘conker hunting’ together with your child.
• When my kids were small we had a conker bath. We added them to their evening bath and a few bubbles – ohh the joy (and mess).
• Make small mini figures by gluing them together or by using a toothpicks.
• Funny conker caterpillar, use tooth sticks to add them together.
• I just like to use them as decoration around the house or in my flowerpots.
• Did you know that conkers keep the spiders away? Leave them at the door and it is ‘goodbye’ spiders!
• Of course, there is the good old fashioned conker fight: Two players, each with a conker threaded on a piece of string or a shoelace, take it in turns to hit each other’s conker, until there is one conker left.
Why not use this time of year to have a bit of special connecting time together, get away from the screen and get some fresh air and fun!
Best wishes,
Mette Theilmann, founder of Predictable Parenting and creator of the Parenting Community App