11-yr-old girl took her drawing of a playground to local Town Hall. The city's reaction took her by surprise

The phrase 'Age is just a number' has been proven right yet again as an 11-year-old girl from Utah brought about significant change in her neighborhood. In 2023, when Rosili Olson was 11 years old, she made some drawings of a playground, keeping in mind her younger siblings' safety, as reported by PEOPLE. Later, she took her drawings to the City Hall and they were so impressed with it that they decided to build a playground based on her imagination. In September 2024, the administrative body, Clearfield Parks and Recreation (@clearfieldparksandrec) posted an inaugural video of the playground on Instagram, showing the resemblance to the design proposed by Olson.

In the video, Olson can be seen cutting the ribbon, surrounded by her all-cheered-up family and friends. "The Bicentennial Park is officially open! Thanks to our own Clearfield City resident Rosili Olson, this park is already a hit among the kids," the caption read. For the overall design, the now-12-year-old finds the ropes and logs element her favorite part of the project, per the video's caption.

Notably, the playground has almost all the features that Olson mentioned in her drawing, including swings, see-through tube slides, monkey bars, and a climbing frame standing on a sand pit. The community in Utah City joined the event to welcome the collaboration aimed at bringing a unique perspective of playfulness. "After seeing her initiative and detail, we knew we had to make her dream happen," according to the Clearfield officials responsible for bringing the park to life, per the outlet.

Additionally, Olson and her mother, Annie Olson, regularly participated in official meetings. The duo reportedly "reviewed multiple versions" before finalizing the design and a color scheme. A picture of the family at the Clearfield city office, in front of a TV playing the park's design, was also shared on Instagram. Initially, Olson pitched her idea to the city's head of parks and recreation, Eric Howes. "Rosili's a very strong-willed and very wonderful person," Annie told a local daily Standard-Examiner. 

He added that when she brought the idea, he thought, "This is a big deal." Moreover, Olson's mom contacted City Hall for a favor, asking them to meet her daughter. "They were so gracious and so kind, a lot more than I ever could’ve imagined, for sure," Olson's mother further revealed to the outlet. According to the head of parks and recreation, Olson's proposal came at the perfect moment. The city had received funds but didn't know how or where to spend them.

"It was budgeted, but we didn't have any specifics. After seeing all the effort she put into those drawings, knowing we'd already ordered the playground for the park right by her house, the next best thing was to say, 'We've got a playground coming in next year,'" the outlet quoted Howes saying. According to the parks and recreation chief, she made site visits during the playground's construction, in addition to four separate sessions discussing its plans.

The final outcome was hailed by Olson herself, who found it "better than I imagined." Several members of the community expressed their excitement about sending their kids to the newly finished playground. "I don't see this from adults very often, to be very honest. I was just so impressed with Rosili. She saw something she didn't like and decided, 'I want to do something about it,'" Howes concluded.

You can follow Clearfield Parks and Recreation (@clearfieldparksandrec) for more parks and recreation content.