Both boys and girls play the game. First, you need a nut from the horse-chestnut tree. You must store the conker in a dry place for as long as possible. This hardens it. You can also harden a conker by baking it very slowly in an oven or microwave.
Some people also like to soak the conker in vinegar.
Next, you must drill a hole in your conker. You can use a nail to do this. Then you need to push a string or shoelace through the hole and tie a knot at one end. To play Conkers, you hold the end of the string in one hand and your conker in the other. Then you swing the conker, hitting your opponent's conker as hard as possible.