Birds & Board Games: Twin Family Businesses Offer Stay-Home Fun

PLAINFIELD, IL — Everyone needs a hobby. Especially during a global pandemic requiring most of the population to stay at home. Two of those hobbies — bird watching and tabletop gaming — are what's on offer at the twin Plainfield businesses of The Wandering Dragon Game Shoppe and Thistle & Twig Wild Bird And Nature Shoppe. Kevin and Laura Martin, co-owners of both businesses, said they hoped they could offer things to do for families fighting cabin fever.

"It's hours and hours of enjoyment you get just playing together as a family," Kevin said, referring to the tabletop games the couple said they enjoyed playing with their son.

"Birding is one of other hobbies... we always wanted to offer the birding hobby to our community," Laura said, adding that seeing a yard full of birds in the morning is a small comfort in frightening times.

Both said that as the coronavirus crisis continues, they're trying to adapt to the new normal. It hasn't been easy, they said.

"[Business] has slowed down," Kevin said. "Our doors are closed now in the retail shop so it's definitely a different dynamic than we're used to.

To boost sales, the Martins said that both businesses are offering free delivery on all orders over $50 in a 15-mile radius of the shops.

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The Wandering Dragon carries both old-fashioned board games like Monopoly and checkers, and newer games like "Settlers of Catan" and "Ticket to Ride." True to its namesake, it also carries products for the famous role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.

Thistle & Twig, Laura said, carries anything a hobbyist bird watcher could need to enjoy amateur ornithology from the comfort of home.

"The [Thistle & Twig] is feeders, bird seed, binoculars, anything you need to attract birds to your yard," Laura said.

This time of year, she said, birdwatchers should be looking for cardinals, finches and juncos. Hummingbirds and orioles may also begin to appear more frequently as the weather gets warmer.
"We're hoping to see them within the next few weeks," Laura said.

For more information on either shop, visit their respective websites. Being trapped indoors just as spring starts may not be ideal, but maybe something at this Plainfield couple's twin shops will help make staying at home a little easier.

"It's kind of neat that... we're able to reach other families with [these hobbies]," Kevin said. Hopefully pass the time in a more encouraging, fun way for everyone."

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