One of our favorite late-summer activities is splashing in the mud at Tucson's annual Mud Monster Mud Puddle Party at Reid Park. Slipping, sliding, and wallowing in mud pools with thousands of fun-seekers brings out the freewheeling kid in everyone. There's something revitalizing about being slathered in the cool muck: mud wraps are used to purify the skin at some of Tucson's finest spas! As for family-friendly fun in the mud, Reid Park is the place to be in August.

This year, my husband and I and our two preteen-aged kids arrived at the park by 7:30 a.m. in time to register before the 8 a.m. start. We headed straight for the obstacle courses, which are sectioned into areas for kids, teens, and adults. Toddlers and younger kids can slosh around in shallow, muddy, sand pits, with adult supervision.

Racing round the obstacle courses is a blast. My eight-year-old son won first place in a foot race with another boy by sliding across the finish line. He was covered with mud from head to toe, and grinning from ear to ear. Next, while my husband took photos, my 11-year-old daughter and I took our turns maneuvering the courses. For her, sliding along a 10-foot plastic mat, sinking into puddles, and diving through inflated plastic tubes was a breeze. For me, a mom who can barely handle the mess of dying Easter eggs, it was a ... challenge. I couldn't get used to the mud/sand that clung to my every pore; yet I continued, laughing with my daughter all the way! We tripped our way through two giant, rubber tires hanging from a tree. We scaled a five-foot, slippery, mud-caked wall, using a rope to haul us up and an onslaught of rushing muddy water to help us slide down. We belly-crawled under low bars and over a military-type net suspended atop a mud puddle. What a workout! At the end of the course, the Tucson Fire Department rinsed off the crowd with fire hoses.

Until the fun ended at noon, we enjoyed a festival with live entertainment and affordable food from vendors. We're already planning a "kids versus parents" race for next year. Hope to see you there. Until then, here's mud in your eye!