What kind of mushroom is this?

Question

i was outside playing fetch with my dog when i came across a big brown ball. (or so i thought). when i kicked it i found it wasn't a ball, but a mushroom! all this white smoke looking stuff came out of it every time i stepped on it. i remember learning about it a few years back in school, but i don't remember much. is this mushroom poison? what was the white smoke looking stuff?

thanks!

Answer 1

We call them puffballs, some of them are posionous, the powder are spores.

Answer 2

The white smoke was spores. It is how the mushroom reproduces.