Which kind of mushroom is this?
This looks like a type of stinkhorn fungus.  They commonly pop up in urban settings, including mulched areas, and can come in many different appearances.  The slime on these mushrooms is used to attract insects and flies which will disperse their spores. They are found in North America including in temperate and north-temperate climates.  According to MushroomExpert.Com these mushrooms will not hurt you, your children or pets.

Specifically, the stinkhorns in your photo look like Mutinus elegans to me.  



Source: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/635556012