For 364 days of the year kids are endlessly reminded by their parents not to get dirty. But Michigans annual Mud Day is a different story. 5,000 children (of all ages) donned their swimming costumers and old T-shirts to wallow in glorious mud at Hines Park in Westland. Hundreds dived, slid, threw or simply lay in a cocktail of 200 tons of topsoil mixed with 20,000 gallons of water, glad to escape the searing heat of the day. 'The kids love it, Brianna Conatser, 29, of Redford, told the Detroit Free Press. It was the mother-of-threes second Mud Day and although Ms Conatser admitted she wasnt usually a fan of the grey stuff, she couldnt hold her youngest daughter Bella, two, from diving in. 'She was in way before me, Ms Conatser said. Her king was ten-year-old Cole Argo of Novi, who was deemed more covered than anyone else at the 24th annual mud fest. And it wasnt just the children having fun. Several parents were spotted having a wail in the massive mud bath as well. Dan Perone was celebrating his 48th birthday with girlfriend Candi Bostain at the bash. 'This is my first time coming, and I definitely plan on coming back, Mr Perrone said, while Miss Bostain added: 'Theres nothing like the mud squishing between your toes. Now I know what pigs feel like. Some were not so sure however. Spencer Christ, five, was determined not to get a toe wet, despite his mothers recommendations that it would be fun. 'I made up my mind, Im not going in, he said defiantly. Meanwhile Wayne Countys director of parks and recreation Beverly Watts said the event was all about the children. 'Kids always have to stay clean at home, she said. 'This is one day where they can get down and dirty. But after the mud came the clean up, which saw all of the muddied revelers get hosed down by a local pumper truck. MO