A young girl in Utah turned her dream playground into a reality after asking her local city hall to build the design she created.
Rosili Olson, now 12, was just 11 years old when she used crayons to sketch a safer playground for her younger sisters. Inspired by her daughter’s creativity and concern, Rosili’s mother, Annie Olson, decided to support the vision by scheduling a meeting with Clearfield’s city hall.
To their surprise, the city took the idea seriously, bringing Rosili’s imaginative playground to life.
“Rosili’s a very strong-willed and wonderful person,” her mother, Annie Olson, said. “When she brought it up, I thought, ‘This is a big deal.’”
Annie explained that she had only called the city hall to ask if her daughter could come in and present her idea. “They were so gracious and kind, a lot more than I ever could’ve imagined, for sure.”
11 year-old Rosili Olsen didn't like the design of the playground near her house, so she brought her idea to Clearfield City hall. Hear how and why they worked with her to bring her plan to life, on @KSL5TV at 6pm pic.twitter.com/oDRnyn9HME
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) September 24, 2024
City Officials Embrace Utah Girl’s Playground Designs
Rosili took her crayon-drawn designs to Clearfield’s city hall, and to her surprise, officials embraced the idea. Eric Howes, the head of Clearfield’s Parks and Recreation, said the timing couldn’t have been better, as they were already planning to revamp the playground, and Rosili’s ideas served as perfect inspiration.
“It was already budgeted, but we didn’t have any specifics,” Eric Howes told the Standard-Examiner. “After seeing all the effort Rosili put into her drawings, and knowing we had already ordered a playground for the park near her house, the next best thing was to say, ‘We’ve got a playground coming in next year. Let’s use what you’ve done and build something there.’”
Rosili’s creative designs played a crucial role in shaping the new playground, turning her dream into a reality for her neighborhood.
He added: “It was as simple as asking her, ‘Do you want to be involved?’ She said ‘yes,’ and her mom was dedicated to bringing her to every meeting.”
Rosili’s Vision Comes to Life: Utah Girl Celebrates Grand Opening of Her Dream Playground
Rosili’s active involvement in the process gave her a unique opportunity to see her vision take shape, creating a playground that now serves as a safer and more enjoyable space for her sisters and other children in the community.
In a Facebook video documenting the project, Clearfield city officials shared why they decided to turn Rosili’s designs into a reality.
“Rosili noticed that the playground near her house was designed for ages 5-12 and wasn’t appropriate for her younger sister,” the officials explained. “After seeing her initiative and attention to detail, we knew we had to make her dream come true.”
The post went on to mention that officials presented Rosili with multiple versions of the playground design for her approval until they “checked all her boxes and got the colors right.” Once the final plans were set, work began on an empty plot of land where the playground would eventually be built.
In the video, Rosili is seen grinning from ear to ear beside the plot, proud that her dream was about to come to life.
Less than a year later, on Tuesday, September 24, Rosili attended the grand opening of the playground at Bicentennial Park. Alongside her mom and sisters, she helped with the ribbon-cutting ceremony, beaming proudly at the result of her vision and collaboration with the Parks and Recreation team.
“It’s even better than I imagined. It’s so beautiful,” she told the Standard-Examiner.
