Rating the Suburbs: Kid City

At first glance, you might think the kids have taken over. Kid City, a 15,000-square-foot miniature version of Brunswick teaches children about what it means to live in a community. Eight new buildings will be constructed this year, including a jail cell, city hall and a new barn. Most of the 15 tot-sized buildings are modeled after real-life cousins, so kids experience a city that’s not too tall to ride. The idea came from Kelly Harrison, a Willetts Middle School art teacher. Her students assisted in cleaning and painting the buildings and are starting to realize they’re building a community on their own. “One of my eighth-graders said [that] she drove by and there were kids playing in it, and she got a little teary-eyed because she helped make that happen,” says Harrison. “My students are seeing that they’re giving back to the youth in the community.” 3637 Center Road, Brunswick, 330-273-8000, brunswick.oh.us/recreation