My new favorite thing in the world is Veronika’s first full sentence: “Bubbles, please please.” As a result, I’m constantly trying to meet this adorable demand, with bubbles in the bath or during playtime. We quickly ran through a bottle of store-bought bubbles so I tried these two recipes at home. Both are so easy, and toddler-friendly to boot.

Bubbles 1:

• 1/3 cup baby shampoo
• 1 and 1/4 cups water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 drops blue food coloring

This nice mild formula blows great bubbles that you can also catch on the wand without popping them. The added bonus is that it will be tear-free if any solution gets in the eyes.

Bubbles 2:

• 1/4 cup dish soap
• 1/4 cup glycerin
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sugar

This version makes stronger bubbles, which float high up in the air, and they will leave behind little strands of popped sugar when popped just right (you may have noticed that the sugar-based bubbles at a Gymboree class act the same).

Veronika was not content to watch me blow the bubbles; she wanted to take charge, dipping the wand in and out.

Older toddlers will no doubt want to practice their blowing skills, too.

Needless to say, you can’t go wrong with bubbles.