This year marks the fourth time that Little Hearts has celebrated Halloween in a big way, but with a special twist – instead of hosting a private event at home, we joined the Halloween extravaganza at the Factory, Phnom Penh. (Once a garment plant, the Factory is now a social hub with event venues, cafes, and coworking space designed especially for creative activity.)
The celebration took place on Sunday, October 26th, and it was an unforgettable day filled with creativity, laughter, and learning. We arrived at around 2 pm, ready to participate in the Open Stage program that began at 3 pm, a fun opportunity where everyone could showcase their talents through singing, dancing, or group performances.
As always, our children wore homemade costumes crafted entirely from recycled materials. This long-standing tradition encourages them to be creative, resourceful, and environmentally conscious – values we proudly promote here at Little Hearts.
The kids had a week to prepare and create their costumes during their free time, mostly in the evenings, in order not to interfere with their regular schedule of morning school and afternoon English classes.
At the Factory, our young talents lit up the stage with their energy, confidence, and unique performances. Jeff and Dalin performed “My Love” by the boy band Westlife; Ennio danced to “Un Poco Loco” from the 2017 Disney/Pixar animated feature film Coco; Maya, dressed as an angel, danced to “Pretty Little Baby” by Connie Francis; Elizabeth sang “Never Enough” from the film The Greatest Showman; Charlie sang “Dancin’” by Aaron Smith; Ben impressed the crowd with his breakdance moves; and we also had a Shaun the Sheep group led by Tony as the Farmer, with Sammy as Bitzer the yellow dog, and Chrissy, Jules, Naomi, Jamie, Vandeth, Bunrath, Dara, Olivia, and Daleine as the adorable sheep.
Michael, Malee, Dina, Micky, Danny, and Lisa took part in the Fashion Show, showing off their spooky costumes. Some of these runway stars also joined the Best Dressed Competition, where creativity, originality, and fright factor were the main focus. Dina was dressed as Pyramid Head, the terrifying monster from Silent Hill, and Micky was the Nurse from the same horror franchise; Ben was a Scary Mask Man; Malee showed up as a possessed doll; and Michael came on a tricycle dressed as Billy the Puppet from the Saw franchise. We are proud to say that Dina and Micky made it to the Top 5 Best Costumes and received special prizes and vouchers!
In fact, all participants in the Open Stage received vouchers for the Water Park in Phnom Penh and movie tickets sponsored by the event organizers. Everyone had a fantastic time and went home tired but full of joy and pride.
“This was the best Halloween ever!” said Jamie, one of our youngest kids, with a big grin. And indeed, many of the kids concurred that this was the most memorable Halloween so far, not only because of the fun activities and prizes, but also because they had a chance to dress up, perform, and be part of a big event outside of Little Hearts.
Beyond the excitement and costumes, this experience was a wonderful learning opportunity for our children. It allowed them to explore new environments, interact with different people, and build confidence, all while having fun.
After such an amazing experience, we’re already thinking about the future! Who knows, maybe next year we will host our very own Halloween event where we can invite friends, partners, and sponsors to join in the fun. The possibilities are endless… we can’t wait to see what spooky surprises await us next year!