The sprawling playground complex at Cedar Creek is fully enclosed with fences not only around the perimeter, but also between each of the four separate playgrounds. When you enter Ceder Creek, you'll drive along the road heading south towards the playgrounds. The first one you will see is field six on the left side. This is a smaller playground that is separate from the larger complex. It's worth a visit for the handicapped swings or if you're looking for a quiet place to play. But the big playground is found on the right, outside of parking field five.

The first playset when you enter is the one for the smallest kids, and has the best surface on the playground. It's a light and soft composite that's a perfect cushion for the short slides and climbs you'll find here. This playset has a nautical theme, with fish pictures on the panels and even a working periscope. There are also three clubhouses, one of which is made to look like a dinosaur.

Just outside the little playset are the toddler swings. The swings themselves are on the older side, but they're still in good shape. The surface is tough for the pushing parent, however. It's all black vinyl tiles with no shade -- so you're going to get hot on a warm day. Even the kids noticed the temperature.

The large playset behind the toddler swings shares the same dark surface. The slides (two of them -- a corkscrew and a double) are sheet metal, so they can get pretty hot as well. They can also get pretty fast, so kids of all ages are going to want to slide on them. This is a very large play area, with many platforms and a variety of climbs to explore.

The network of climbing and monkey bars are better expressed on the ground than in the sky.

The center of the playground at Cedar Creek features a large gazebo that provides a welcome respite from the sun. There are also a number of benches down the middle walkway that are in the shade. Just behind the gazebo is a large sandbox with a pair of earth-mover scoops (the third one was broken). Past that, there is another very large playset that sits on a light blue tile surface. There are a number of slides and climbs that radiate from all directions.

There is plenty of seating within the play spaces as well, and the fenced in areas are so large that it rarely gets too crowded in any one place. There are a number of challenging climbs on this set, from ones that take you onto platforms from the ground to ones that traverse the spans between platforms.

A very long hang glider marks the back end of this set towards the standard swings. The play area has an airplane theme, with dual steering wheels and panels with mock controls. The whir of the small planes on the nearby model plane aerodrome add to the atmosphere.

Finally, the last set is intermediate in size, with a spring-mounted see saw and a pair of mounted rockers. Three built-in games and slides round out the fun on this set, with an additional group of interweaving tunnels that kids can climb through.

One more great feature worth mentioning is this roller rink, made for use with roller skates and roller blades only. We're not sure how they keep the skateboarders out, but there weren't any in sight during our visit. Between the playground and the rink is the public restrooms, which were large but a little dark not exactly spotless. On their official site, Nassau County boasts that Cedar Creek was voted the best playground on Long Island, but we think they're selling Cantiague and Eisenhower short. There is a lot to explore here and kids will have plenty of fun on multiple visits, but Cedar Creek's playground looks a little past its prime, especially the surfaces.

Cedar Creek Park