Wayne County Parks Hosts a Fun Day for Mud Play

Large crowds of kids and adults gathered in Westland’s Hines Park-Nankin Mills Area Tuesday afternoon to play in a 75’ X 150’ mud pit playground, celebrating Wayne County Parks’ 26th Annual Mud Day.

As one of the messiest playgrounds found in southeast Michigan, children from surrounding areas got down and dirty from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The kids were separated into age categories for many events, including wheelbarrow races and mud limbo.  A King and Queen of Mud was crowned, and local firefighters hosed the kids down after they played.

“It’s fun because it gets a whole bunch of people together to play in the mud and get dirty," said Madison Eisenhauer of Livonia.

Colleen Terry traveled from Farmington to take part in the mud activities with her son, niece, and nephew. 

“We all came out here for the first time ever. Definitely the mud by the main stage is the best, Terry said. "It has the sloppiest, thickest, grossest mud possible.” 

Although Terry and her niece, Tati, enjoyed covering themselves with mud from head to toe, the other youngsters had a fun time splashing around in the water.

“These guys, they kind of like the wimpier siphtuff.  It doesn’t have so much mud, more water than anything else.  We’ve had to come out and get them a little muddy because they won’t come and do it themselves,” Terry said.

Aletha Jones of Southfield also tried her best to stay mud-free by wearing a poncho and rain boots to the event.

Jones said, “I’m here today with my nephew, Evan.  He insisted we come.  However, I’m only on camera duty, so I came equipped to dodge mud day.”

While some people came to snap pictures and others chose to jump and splash in the mud themselves, it was an event for everyone.

“It’s something to do in the summer time," Craig Barton, of Dearborn Heights, said, 

This summer event was sponsored by ITC Holdings, Community Alliance Credit Union, Parkside Credit Union, CVS, Kroger, and the Western Wayne County Hazardous Materials Response Team.

Did you attend Mud Day?  Share your experience with us in the comments.