A new playground for 463 children in Battambang

Prek Chhdor Primary School sits in Prek Chhdor Village, in the Ek Phnom District of Battambang Province. It is home to 463 children — 231 boys and 232 girls, from Kindergarten 2 all the way up to Primary 6, aged four to twelve. They come to learn, but for a long time there was one thing missing: somewhere to simply be kids.

So we built it. Working hand in hand with Child’s Dream Cambodia — the same partner we work with on our Children’s Medical Fund — Spirit Bright funded and built a brand-new playground for the school.

What we built

• Swings — the first stop for almost every child
• Slides — bright, sturdy, and endlessly re-climbed
• Monkey bars — for the braver hands
• Seesaws — because some joys are best shared two at a time

Construction was completed on 30 March 2026, and after a one-week curing period for the concrete footings the playground was officially opened. Building it was only half the work. We also ran community workshops with the teachers, parents and children — showing everyone how to use the equipment safely and how to look after it, so the playground stays a safe, happy place for years to come.

On April 20th, Sam travelled out to Prek Chhdor for the opening celebration. Nearly a hundred children in their school uniforms gathered in front of the new playground — and the moment the ribbon was cut, the whole place filled with the sound of kids running, climbing and laughing. That sound, more than anything, is what this was for.

None of it happens alone. Thank you to Child’s Dream Cambodia, to the teachers and families of Prek Chhdor, and to everyone who helped make this playground possible.

“Give a child a safe place to play, and you give them room to simply be a child.”