How to make the perfect conker for battle

The World Conker Championship took place this past weekend in Southwick and we're here to prepare for next year's event!

Learn how to choose and create the perfect conker for battle here!

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What you need:

• Conkers
• String
• Sharp scissors or a screwdriver

Step 1: Choose your conker. Top Tip: The best conkers to play with are uncracked, firm and symmetrical. A great way to test if a conker is super strong or not is to float it in a bucker of water. If the conker sinks, it is dense inside and very strong, you're ideal candidate! If your conker floats, it means part of it's inside is hollow and it will be a weaker conker. Step 2: Make a hole through the middle of of your chosen conker. Step 3: Thread a strong piece of string about 25cm long, through the hole and tie a knot at one end, so that it doesn't fall off the string. Time to play!

• The main make up of the game is that players take turns at hitting each other's conkers conker. Each player has a conker hanging on its string.Whoever splits their opponents conker first wins!
• Choose who will go first.
• If you are chosen to go second, wrap your string around your hand and let your conker hang down from the string. The conker is held at the height your opponent chooses and is held perfectly still.
• Next your opponent, the striker, wraps their conker string round their hand just like yours.
• They then pull their conker back with their other hand takes aim, and attempts to strike your conker.
• Releasing the conker we now wait and see if they make contact with your conker...
• If a player misses hitting their opponents conker they are allowed up to two further goes.
• If the strings tangle, the first player to shout out "strings" gets an extra go.
• If a player hits their opponents conker in such a way that it completes a whole circle after being hit - known as ‘round the world’ – the player gets another go.
• If a player drops his conker, or it is knocked out of his hand the other player can shout 'stamps' and jump on it; but should its owner first cry 'no stamps' then the conker, hopefully, remains intact.
• The game goes on in turns until one or other of the two conkers is completely destroyed!

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