Imagination is something that is too often thought of as childish and for kids, but sometimes adults can also benefit from the use of their imagination.

On June 9, Weber State hosted Arts in the Parks at Lorin Farr park. On this particular day, the theme was imagination.

Although the event was meant for kids to be able to come out to the parks and enjoy the air while learning, there were many learning experiences for the parents as well.

Chaunny Stapley, mother of three, explained that if adults were “more creative as a whole, the world would be much happier.”

The event really seemed to stand as a reminder to the parents and guardians that they, too, should be exercising their imaginations if they want to see a better world for the children as they grow older.

“A lot of people forget to use their imaginations,” said Becky Rice. “They get stuck in this mentality ‘this has to be this way,’ but sometimes it would be better if they just broke away from what was expected and thought outside of the box.”

From the adults perspective, thinking outside of the box epitomized imagination. To a child, imagination was simply just an everyday occurrence that was part of their lives.

Caden Daniel, age 8, defined imagination by saying, “It’s like when you stand there and daydream about something that you want to happen and then it happens, but it’s in your head.”

This definition of imagination seemed to be true across the multiple different activities available to the children. In one section, the kids could make their very own puppets. Looking around the park, you could then see the children “day dreaming” a story and repeating that story to those around them using their handmade puppets.

In another activity, the kids got to choose 5 colors to make their very own head bands. Although the tools, colors and materials were the same for each child, not a single head band was the same across the entire event.

Nick Holmes, who was with his two kids, explained the creative process that is necessary when using imagination.

“Crafts help show personality,” he said. “Different crafts develop the children creatively, and seeing so many different crafts shows that imagination is at work.”

Arts in the Park is a weekly event happening in a different park each week. This week it’s at the 4th Street Park (275 4th Street, Ogden). For more information or a schedule of events, visit http://www.weber.edu/artsintheparks.