Here is some fun stuff to do during those rainy days or if you want to amaze some of your friends

To Create Magic Smoke

If you slowly sprinkle ammonium chloride into a flame, puffs of white smoke will appear. Or, you can make clouds of white smoke appear by heating half a teaspoon of ammonium chloride over a flame. (this didn't work until I blew the candle out. Then wow! I think I'm blind now!)

To Create Magic Liquid Stardust

In a glass or cup, dissolve 4 measures of ammonium chloride in two spoonfuls of water in a glass or cup. Sprinkle a little of this solution on a mirror, and, as the solution dries, beautiful crystals will appear.

To Create the Illusion of Stars in the Sky

Another "starry" special effect can be achieved by turning out the lights and sprinkling powdered iron into a flame. If this is done slowly enough, a number of yellow, sparkling "stars' can be seen clearly. (this is really cool)

To Create a Nighttime Scene in a Glass

Mix 1/3 measure of ferric ammonium sulfate and 1/3 measure of sodium Ferro-cyanide in a glass 1/2 full of water. To another glass 1/2 full of water, add 5 drops of phenolphthalein solution. In an empty glass put 1 spoonful of sodium silicate powder and 2 spoonfuls of water. Pour the contents of these last two glasses into the first glass, stir and watch what happens.

To Change the Color of Flame:

For Candles:
add the chemicals to the wax, or soak the wicks in a solution of the chemicals using the following recipe.

To Add to a Fire:

Put three level spoons of the chemical into a paper cup; fill 1/2 full with water and stir. Soak several small chips of wood in this solution overnight. The next day, remove the chips with tweezers and lay on newspaper to dry. They can now be added to the flames to produce bright colors. 

Blue -  Copper chloride 

Carmine - Lithium chloride

Green - Copper sulfate

Orange - Calcium chloride 

Purple - Potassium chloride 

Red - Strontium chloride 

Yellow - Sodium chloride (table salt)

Ghost Flowers

Heat one measure of sodium carbonate (washing soda) in a clean, dry test tube with three drops of castor oil. Stop the heating process when a cloud of white vapor rises in the test tube. Walk around the audience and wave the test tube around so everybody can smell the sent of violets.

To Create Rose-Scented Perfume

fill a test tube 1/3 full of rose petals and add just enough water to cover them. Poke a piece of cotton into the top of the tube. Gently boil the water letting the steam, not the water, touch the cotton. When the cotton is wet with vapor from the steam, remove it and squeeze it into another test tube. Repeat this procedure three times. Smell the water you collected in the cotton. It smells of roses. To obtain other natural scents, you can repeat this experiment using lilac, honeysuckle, violet and iris

Weather Forecaster Paper

Soak a strip of crepe paper in a mixture of one spoon of cobalt chloride in a half glass of water. If this paper is hung out of doors (covered!), it will help forecast the weather. Pink means rain and blue means fair weather.

Growing Crystals by Cooling a Hot Water Solution

For each experiment, place the specified amount of material in a test tube and add 40 drops of hot water. Then drop a button tied with white thread into the test tube; to keep the thread in place, attach the other end of the thread to a toothpick and lay it across the mouth of the test tube. If some crystals do not form, add a little more chemical. Let the solutions stand overnight or until crystals start to grow - a week may be necessary. Save the crystals by keeping them in small dry bottles. 

Violet crystals: Add 2 spoons of ferric ammonium sulfate 

Red crystals: add 2 spoons of cobalt chloride 

white crystals: add 3 spoons of calcium chloride 

white crystals: add 1 spoon of sodium carbonate (washing soda) 

clear crystals: 5 spoons of sugar 

yellow crystals: 1 spoon of sodium Ferro-cyanide 

white crystals: 10 measures of sodium borate (borax) 

clear crystals: magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts)

Invisible Inks

Remember writing in lemon juice, scorching the paper and having it show up? Well you can use a lot more than lemon juice! You can also use grapefruit juice, acetic acid (white vinegar), onion juice, and milk. *mix 4 measures of table salt in a test tube 1/2 full of water, use as ink. When the writing is dry, rub over it lightly with a soft lead pencil and the writing will stand out. *to create invisible "blue" ink -dissolve one measure of sodium Ferro-cyanide in a test tube 1/2 full of water. Using a toothpick, write a message with this solution on a blank sheet of paper. Make another solution by dissolving one measure of ferric ammonium sulfate in a test tube 1/2 full of water. Dampen a piece of blotting paper with this solution and press it on the first sheet of paper. Your writing will turn blue. *to make your secret messages disappear - dissolve 1/2 measure of ferric ammonium sulfate and 1/2 measure sodium Ferro-cyanide in a test tube 1/4 full of water. Using a toothpick, write a message with this solution on a blank sheet of paper. To make the writing disappear, say your magic words as you wipe over it with a mixture of two measures of sodium carbonate in a test tube of 1/4 full of water. *to create a special ink that disappears when you breathe on it: Make an ink by dissolving 3 measures of cobalt chloride in a test tube 1/2 full of water. Using a toothpick, write a message with this solution on a blank sheet of paper. Carefully hold the paper near an electric light bulb. Your message will appear in blue. The blue writing will disappear again if you blow on it.

To Create Magic Writing Paper 

Put one measure of sodium Ferro-cyanide and one measure of ferric ammonium sulfate on a sheet of blank white paper. Mix the two dry chemicals and rub the powder over the paper. Shake off any excess powder and discard. Using just plain water and a toothpick, write a message on the paper. The writing will appear blue. To make your writing appear black, substitute tannic acid or the sodium Ferro-cyanide. A simple alternative to this is to soak a piece of paper in acetic acid (white vinegar) and let dry. Fill a test tube 1/4 full of water and dissolve 2 measures of sodium carbonate on it. Write with this solution on the dry acetic acid paper. Now scorch the paper, being careful not to let it burn. The paper will turn black and the writing will be white.

To Create the Illusion of Water Turning into Blood

(Oddly enough, this trick happens to a lot of Saint's artifacts...) Put 5 measures of sodium carbonate into an empty glass. Fill  another glass 1/2 full of water and add 10 drops of phenolphthalein solution to it. Pour the contents of the second glass into the first one and stir with your "magic wand." The water will turn red. To turn it clear again, insert a drinking straw into the solution and blow out through it.

To Turn a Clear Liquid Amber and then Blue

Before starting, prepare a magic glass by putting 3 drops of tincture of iodine into a clean, dry glass. Your audience will think the glass is empty. Say a few magic words as your pour clear water into the glass. The solution will appear amber. If you then add three measures of cornstarch and stir, the solution will turn blue.