Games for All Occasions

A line of children races after its leader—hopping, marching, clapping—then winds itself into a tight spiral. In Mary E. Blain’s games, the living room can become a maze, a dance floor, or a very busy search for a missing button.

Written in the early twentieth century, Games for All Occasions gathers indoor and outdoor amusements for children and families. Blain’s instructions turn simple things—a feather, a handkerchief, a ring—into tests of quickness, attention, and nerve, while songs and forfeits keep everyone involved. There are blindfolded chases, secret passes, and a donkey whose tail may land almost anywhere. The book also makes a gentle case for play as a joy adults need not leave behind. Which game will have everyone laughing—and who will be caught first?

With centuries of literature, it's inevitable that some will fall through the cracks. We hunt down public domain works and restore them so they're not lost to the world.

Who are we? We're Cairn Press. Our background is in design, publishing, typography, and technology. These skills fuel our mission to create the highest quality Public Domain eBooks available online, at an affordable price. We give them the treatment they deserve; our proprietary process restores books for a better overall user experience in design, readability, and e-reader compatibility.