Exploring Halloween Together: Words, Memories, and Laughter

Over the past week, our Young at Heart groups in Thornaby have been discussing the theme of Halloween — not just the spooky side, but also the memories, traditions, and laughter that come with it. For many of our members, Halloween has changed a lot over the years. Some recall the early days of apple bobbing and homemade costumes, while others smile at the thought of grandchildren dressed as witches, pumpkins, and superheroes heading out to knock on doors.

To celebrate the season, both Thornaby groups took part in a fun and creative activity. Together, they brainstormed word associations around Halloween — everything from “ghouls” and “lanterns” to “Incy Wincy Spider,” “witchcraft,” and even “Xmas soon!” The results were fantastic, sparking plenty of laughter and conversation along the way.

Using each group’s list of words, we created two original poems — one from each session. Every single word shared by the groups was woven into a light-hearted, dementia-friendly Halloween poem designed to be read aloud and enjoyed together.

The Night of the Bewitched Pumpkin

Created from the first Thornaby group’s word associations

On an eerie night, by lantern light,
The Bewitched Pumpkin woke in fright.
“Something’s coming!” the ghouls all cried,
As the Incy Wincy Spider crept inside.

A creepy, daft, and fiendish crew,
Were brewing spells — as witches do.
They whispered softly, under the stairs,
Of witchcraft, potions, and secret affairs.

Through night time shadows, orange and gold,
The lanterns flickered bright and bold.
The jocular moon hung high above,
Watching their mischief with gentle love.

They’d knock on doors with a cheeky grin,
Shouting “Halloween!” before running in.
No harm was meant, just laughter’s charm,
No trauma here — just hearts kept warm.

The zombies danced, the witches sang,
And broomsticks through the darkness sprang.
It all felt slightly vicious, true,
But mostly just quirky — like me and you.

The cat declared, “How American(!?) strange!
But fun enough — why would we change?”
“For religion or reason, for play or delight,
Let’s celebrate pumpkin and lantern light!”

Then as the midnight bells did chime,
They whispered, “It’s nearly Yuletide time!”
And someone giggled, “Xmas soon!”
Beneath the witchcraft’s silver moon.

So the Bewitched Pumpkin, tired but proud,
Smiled at the laughter, gentle and loud.
For spooky or silly, from dusk till noon,
It’s Halloween now — but Xmas soon!

The Night the Ghouls Came Knocking

Created from the second Thornaby group’s word associations

It was Halloween, the moon was full,
The air was windy, the night so cool.
The witches stirred their cauldron stew,
While ghosts and ghouls together flew.

A black cat watched from a garden wall,
Its owl friend whispered, “Here they call!”
The broomsticks whooshed through nighttime air,
Leaving sparkles, cobwebs everywhere.

They’d knock on doors with a cheerful cheer,
“Trick or treat!” — the best night of the year!
No need to be petrified, or scream,
It’s only pumpkins and sweets — or so it would seem!

The vampire grinned with polished fangs,
The skeleton danced and rattled its hands.
A bossy imp, both angry and bright,
Declared, “Let’s make this the spookiest night!”

The pumpkins giggled, “Come have a bite!”
They ate pumpkins too — what a funny sight!
The Dracula doll gave a rusty groan,
While the spooky bats claimed cobwebs their own.

Through webs and weird and windy ways,
They wandered on through haunted haze.
No upheaval here, just friendly delight,
For everyone loved this scary night.

And when dawn broke, with a yell and “Yep!”,
They packed their suitcases, off they crept.
The zealous witches gave one last tune —
“Happy Halloween — it’s nearly Xmas soon!”

More Halloween Tales from Young At Heart

Our Thornaby poems join a growing collection of Halloween-inspired writing created by Young at Heart groups across Stockton-on-Tees. These short stories were developed collaboratively with group members and ChatGPT, combining imagination, humour, and gentle spooky fun. You can read them all below:

• The Blind Date at Trossachs Castle — A Halloween ‘love story’ written with the assistance of ChatGPT based on original prompts from our Billingham activity group.
• The Shadow (Part 1) — Created by our Friday afternoon “Happy Pensioners” group as the first part of a Halloween short-story series.
• The Shadow: Shadows and Songs (Part 2) — A continuation of the spooky story as the mystery deepens…
• The Midnight Celebration — A haunting family tale set in a graveyard on a milestone birthday.

We love how creative our members can be when given the chance to play with language and imagination. These poems and stories show how something as simple as a list of words or a shared idea can spark laughter, connection, and pride. Thank you to everyone who took part in our Halloween discussions and creative writing sessions — your ideas were truly spooktacular!

Young At Heart ULO CIC delivers dementia-friendly activity and peer support groups across Stockton-on-Tees. If you’d like to learn more or join one of our sessions, visit www.youngatheartulo.org.uk.