With the weather along the Emerald Coast getting cooler, playgrounds are popular afternoon destinations. Located in the charming Crystal Beach neighborhood, the playground at Village Baptist Church is a great option. It is a well-designed playground and offers kids various challenges, providing enough space and equipment to climb, run, stretch, jump and balance. The playground is divided into two distinct areas; one for preschoolers and one for younger elementary school aged kids, complete with four slides, monkey bars, a bridge, and a covered tunnel. There are great "hiding spaces" underneath the play structures, which lends itself to some serious hide and seek. This area is fenced in, offering some protection from the traffic entering the church and the neighborhood. The "little kids" area also has a covered picnic table. The ground cover is soft, which is a real benefit as the monkey bars are just big enough to offer a challenge for an active kindergartener or first grader looking to push their limits. Equipment is accessed by stairs, steps and ladders, so handicapped accessibility is limited. The playground also has a separate more challenging space designed for older kids. There is a zip line, a rock wall, a balancing apparatus that looks like a space age see-saw, a net climbing structure which looks like a large tepee, and a metal wave-like climbing structure. The ground around this section is crumb rubber and there is seating scattered around the perimeter. The playground also has a swing set; two "big kid swings" and two "baby swings" which are always popular. Village Baptist is a great option if you're looking for a playground right in the middle of Destin. Please note that although the play space is open to the public, Village Baptist is home to an active congregation with services on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. There is also a preschool, a mother's day out program and various mid-week bible studies.