Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7392
6 January 2024
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
this week...
Jesus Seeks Safety
this week...
Time for a Fresh Start
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 6 January.indd 1
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What’s Inside?
Puzzle Answers Turn this page upside down to read the answers
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Happy New Year! and Ed’s Bit
CROSSWORD ACROSS: 3 Ham. 5 Police. 6 Cue. 7 Proud. 8 Earth. 11 Key. 12 Button. 13 Ray.
4–5
KA! JAM
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Bible Brainteasers
EGG TIMER CHALLENGE 1 Granite. 2 Retain. 3 Train. 4 Rant. 5 Rat. 6 Tram. 7 Smart. 8 Stream. 9 Hamster.
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Optical Illusions
GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE SUPER SUM!: 16 ÷ 4 + 7 x 3 – 8 = 25.
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
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Sensory Trend Hub Competition
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Colouring Corner
12–13
KA! World
14–15
Your Space
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Patch’s Pals Robbie’s Robot
DOWN: 1 Robe. 2 Limp. 3 Hero. 4 Monday. 6 Clever. 9 Ruby. 10 Hate. 11 Knot. BIBLE BRAINTEASERS: 1A. 2B. 3A. 4C. 5B. PICK OUT PATCH: Page 2.
Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Sunday at 9–9.30am
Subscribe* to
for £4.33 a month
Hey there, readers! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Kids Alive! If you would like to get your own copy of Kids Alive! delivered to your home every week, why not ask your parents or carers to take out a subscription* for you? Every week, Kids Alive! includes a cartoon Bible story, a competition, puzzles, jokes, comic strips and topical activities and articles for you to enjoy. Ask your parents or carers to go to sps-shop.com/kids-alive, call 01933 445445 (option 1, option 1) or email subscriptions@satcol.org to set up a subscription.
Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your Sunday started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles
e Availabl online!
*A subscription costs just £4.33 a month (or a one-off payment of £52). This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with 51 copies delivered over 12 months. Please note that different prices apply to Europe and international orders.
EDITOR Justin Reeves DEPUTY EDITOR Cara Mott GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Martin KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku PROOFREADER Chris Horne CONTACT US Phone Office – 020 7367 4910 Territorial Headquarters Switchboard – 0845 634 0101 Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth GENERAL Lyndon Buckingham TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
Published weekly by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory. The Salvation Army is a Christian church and registered charity. The charity number in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 214779, in Scotland SC009359 and in the Republic of Ireland CHY6399. ISSN 1363-5662.
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H
appy new year, readers! Can you believe it’s 2024? A new year can feel great, because it’s like having a brand-new diary – it’s full of empty pages or days for you to fill with exciting plans. What are you most looking forward to this year? Maybe you’re moving house, have a new sibling on the way, a holiday planned or a special birthday. There are also lots of big events happening, including a summer full of super sport! This includes the Olympics and Paralympics taking place in Paris and EURO 2024 kicking off in Germany. This year is extra special too, because it’s a leap year – that means there’s an extra day in February. Leap years happen every four years and they help keep our calendar in line with the time it takes Earth to orbit the Sun. If we didn’t have them everything – such as the seasons – would slowly end up out of sync. So 2024 has 24 more hours than last year – what will you do with that extra time? You could take on a fundraising challenge, learn a new skill, volunteer your time to help others or simply hang out with the people you love most. However you choose to use that extra time, make it count!
Check out pages 12 and 13 to read about resolutions and find out some super suggestions for making 2024 a great year
I know we’re almost a week into 2024, but it’s not too late to wish you a Happy New Year! I hope you’re looking forward to the year ahead. I like to think of a new year as a new book with 366 blank pages to fill. The cool thing about this book is that it doesn’t really matter if things don’t go perfectly – just as long as you keep on trying to do your best. It’s always worth remembering that you can start a fresh page any time you like. What I love about Jesus is that he’s got a bundle of fresh pages ready for us to start again. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best to live life his way. But it does mean that if we muck things up, we can learn from our mistakes, start again and with Jesus’ help try to do better. Have an awesome 2024!
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Read the comment below about travelling to new places
Are We Nearly There Yet? asks Kat Whitmore
H
ow do you feel about going to new places? Do you like the thought of being adventurous and exploring somewhere you’ve never been before? Or are you someone who prefers the comfort of being in a place you know well? I like familiar places and I sometimes feel nervous going somewhere new, but I also get curious and that makes me want to explore a bit, too. Mary and Joseph had to make a long journey to Bethlehem, where Jesus was then born. The wise men made a long journey too, to visit him there. Their journeys probably took at least a week, but I suppose they didn’t have quite the same ways to travel as we do today! What’s the longest journey you’ve been on? Why were you
travelling and how did you get there? For the wise men, their journey took them somewhere new and unfamiliar. However, I think you’ll agree that all the travelling was worth it because it led them to Jesus! Some people will travel a lot in their lives, while others might feel like they never really go anywhere. But I’ve been thinking: the great thing about being in God’s family is that it doesn’t matter where we are, where we will go, or even if we stay in one place, because God has promised he is with us, wherever we are. Why not thank God that he is with you now, wherever you are, even while you’re reading this Kids Alive!?
Journey to Bethlehem Help Mary and Joseph and the wise men get to Bethlehem
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Inclusion in the Kingdom of God Jesus Seeks Safety
Check out your Bible – Luke 2:1–7; Matthew 2:1–15 Kids Alive! follows the Salvation Army Children and Youth’s Explore It! resource – go to salvationist.org.uk/resources/discipleship/explore-it Steve English
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BIBLE BRAINTEASERS ? ?
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Would you consider yourself to be a Bible buff? Do you know how many fish and loaves Jesus used to feed 5,000 people? Which teenager defeated a giant and who was swallowed by a huge fish? From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of incredible stories and interesting information. Test your Bible knowledge by having a go at the questions below.
1 How many books in the Bible
2 How many nights did Jonah
3 In what part of the Bible can
was the name of the blind 4 What man that Jesus healed in Jericho?
you find the story of Daniel? A Old Testament B New Testament
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?
?
spend in the fish’s belly? A 1 CLUE B 3 Jonah 1:17 C 5
begin with the letter Z? A 2 B 4 C 6
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A Onesimus B Barnabas C Bartimaeus
Mark 10:46
5 Fill in the Bible verse: ‘Then Jesus
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declared, ‘‘I am the _ _ _ _ _ of life.’’’ A Fruit CLUE B Bread John 6:35 C Water
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CLUE
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ANSWERS ON PAGE 2
KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through th e Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sh eet is filled with lots of great stuff about be ing a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-m ag, Chatterbox, which is filled with jokes , games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prize s to be won! To join KA! JAM and complete the Bible activity courses online, go to salvationist.org.uk/ kajam. Or if you would like to receive the postal vers ion, simply fill in the coup on below. To join KA! JAM just fill in the application form and send it – along with KA! JAM, 1 Champion two first-class stamps Park, London SE5 8FJ. – to: Applicants must be be tween 7 and 17 years old Name: to join. Date of birth: Address:
Boy or girl: I, (signature)
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Postcode: Do you attend a church,
and if so, which one?
apply for membership of Kids Alive! Jesus And Me . I understand that joining KA! JAM doesn’t mean I have joined The Salvat ion Army and that it is not free subscription to Kid a s Alive!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.
21/12/2023 12:08
irthday Happy Bir to You!
ure issue birthday printed in a fut d an me na ur yo e se To of birth me, address and date of KA! email your full na y.org.uk. Remember to type arm to kidsalive@salvation ct box. u!’ in the email’s subje Yo to ay thd Bir py ‘Hap
6 Januar y age 12 h Treneer –
Jona
7 Januar y Michael Reede – age 13 Joshua Squires – age 9
8 January Graycie Stevens – age 13 11 Januar y
9 Januar y Elsie Wise – age 13
Funmi Fawehinmi – age 12 12 Januar y Sarah Kondraciuk – age 12 Aurelia Clark – age 8 Jacob Roberts – age 6
Pick Out Patch Happy new year, EVERYONE! i’M STARTING MY NEW YEAR WITH A RUN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.
Optical illusions use colour, light or patterns to confuse our brains – that means the illusions look different to what is actually there.
Check out these rows of black and white rectangles. Are the lines in between parallel with each other? They might look wonky, but if you get a ruler you might be surprised! The reason it looks weird is because the black and white blocks aren’t aligned – this tricks your brain into thinking the lines are sloping when actually they’re level.
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, h a, ha!
o, Ho h ! o ho h
! M U S SUPER X
H e h e, he he!
÷
+ ÷ + -? ?4?7 6 1 ÷ X X X 5 = 2 ? + 8 3 ÷ + add, subtract, Replace the question marks with an e the sum divide or multiply symbol to complet
H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
o, H o h a, ha h ! e he h
e, He h ! e he h
What’s a cow’s favourite night of the year? Moo Year’s Eve!
What do you call an alligator who solves crimes? An investi-gator!
What was the caterpillar’s New Year’s resolution? To turn over a new leaf!
The answers to the clu es in this puzzle are anagrams of the an swer immediately above or below, plus or minus one letter. The first one is filled in to give you a start.
1 VERY HARD TYPE OF ROCK
Clues 2 KEEP
G R A n
I T E
3 PASSENGER VEHICLE ON A
EggTRACK Timer 4 TALK ANGRILY Challenge
5 RODENT WITH A LONG TAIL 6 PASSENGER VEHICLE ON A TRACK IN A CITY CENTRE 7 WELL-DRESSED OR CLEVER 8 SMALL RIVER 9 RODENT KEPT AS A PET by Neil Locker
8
H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
H e h e, h e h e!
B
Knock, knock! Who’s there? Ha h a, h a h a, A broken pencil! ha ha!
A broken pencil who? Oh never mind, it’s pointless!
o, , knock! o hck KHno h ho o! Who’s there? Mikey! Mikey who? Mikey doesn’t fit in the keyhole!
ers w s 2 An ge on
I broke my finger last week... ...but on the other e h e, I’m OK! Hhand, he he!
Crossword Clues
by Neil Locker
Pa
H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
C
Why should you put your new calendar in the freezer? To start off the new year in a cool way!
across:
Crossword Clues
3 Meat from a pig. 5 Law enforcement officers. 6 Snooker player’s rod. 7 Feeling happy about someone’s achievement. 8 Our planet. 11 Device for unlocking door. 12 Fastener for shirt. 13 Beam of sunlight.
down: 1 Ceremonial gown. 2 Walk with an injury. 3 Brave person. 4 First day after the weekend. 6 Intelligent. 9 Red gemstone. 10 Detest. 11 Tangle in a piece of string.
new year WO R D S E A R C H Find the New Year-related words in the grid
countdown party hugs dancing singing music family hopeful confetti resolutions clock excited friends fireworks balloons
s w z b y t r a p j v c n s d n e i r f r q c o o i n d m u s i c l g n o n c o u n t d o w n f l g j n i f g c s h i e l i r t a t k g v p c t a n wm x y u z a b n t b g i c d h e l f g a i h l j k l m n p o q d r y f i r e w o r k s t s u v w x d e t i c x e y z l u f e p o h a b c r
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COMPETITION
’ve ss and mess of Christmas, we f you’re still getting over the stre b r senses. The Sensory Trend Hu got some toys to help soothe you we’re distributed by Brainstorm and has a range of Motion Bubblers s competition. giving away some in this week’ s pen is a toy and pen in one. Thi The Sensory Motion Bubbler el six different colours and can trav calming accessory comes in g min cal the tch t flip the pen and wa with you wherever you go. Jus ee thr in le tion Bubbler Stair is availab droplets fall. The Sensory Mo the fidget toy. Sit back and watch fun colours and is also a handy s are stairs. These mesmerising toy gentle droplets bob down the and mindfulness. great for stress relief, relaxation which dle is My Very Own Rainbow, Also included in the prize bun This light show into your bedroom! brings nature’s most beautiful of dark s on to the walls and ceilings bow rain ms bea tor jec pro t ligh r t rainbow crystal to hang in you rooms. There’s also a sunligh long! window for rainbow fun all day toys listed above, answer the For your opportunity to win the r full name, age, address and question below and email you my.org.uk. Remember to put answer to kidsalive@salvationar ry ion’ in the subject box. Your ent ‘Sensory Trend Hub Competit l February when the winners wil needs to reach us by Friday 2 by filling in the details on the be chosen. You can also enter , Sensory Trend Hub Competition coupon below and posting it to: London SE5 8FJ. Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park,
I
WIN!
How many different colours are available in the Sensory Motion Bubbler pen range? Five
Six
Seven
Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
21/12/2023 11:47
HAPPY NEW YEAR COLOURING Happy New Year! Are you looking forward to planning some adventures for 2024? As you think about all the things you’re looking forward to doing this year, why not add a splash of colour to the Happy New Year design below? If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Happy New Year Colouring’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your colourings to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to fill in the details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose colouring we publish, so don’t miss out!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Name:
Age:
Address: Postcode: Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page
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lifestyle and caring ve ti ac an d an y th al he Living a tual well-being. iri sp d an l ta en m , al ic ys for your ph
Time ffoor a Fresh Start At the beginning of a new year lots of people make resolutions. These are like promises or hopes for the coming year that they think will make their lives better. These could be trying to live a healthier lifestyle (by eating more healthy food or exercising more), learning a new skill or even changing something about themselves that they don’t like (such as being a better listener). If you’re not sure what resolutions might be good for you in 2024, here are some ideas to get you started.
Get Active Do you ever find that you feel much better after getting some fresh air? Experts are always saying that being active, especially outdoors, is great for our mental well-being. So making sure you’re active in some way every day is a great resolution that will help you to feel better physically and mentally!
Be More Helpful Are your parents or carers often rushing around trying to get things sorted for you and your siblings? Perhaps you could make a resolution to be more helpful this year. Keeping your room tidy or doing your homework without being asked would help a lot. You could also try to be more helpful to friends and other family members.
A New Hobby Lots of people like to take up new hobbies at the beginning of the year. Does that appeal to you? You could try skateboarding if you’ve never done it before, or try to draw one sketch every week to be more artistic. Or how about developing your cooking skills so you can help with preparing meals at home? That’s a double resolution as it’s helping others too!
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Go Green Do you recycle? What about walking to places when you can rather than being driven? Or how about making sure you turn off electrical appliances when you’re not using them? These are all ways we can help to take care of our planet and there’s always more we can do. Eating less meat, reducing how much plastic you use and turning off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth are all resolutions that can make a difference.
Believe In Yourself Lots of people struggle with confidence. It’s easy to be down on yourself and think you’re not good enough even though you’re great. If you’d like to believe in yourself more, maybe 2024 is the year to make a resolution to do just that!
Limit Screen Time We all know how great technology is, but using screens, such as TVs, phones and tablets too much isn’t very good for you. If you find you and your family spend a lot of time using technology, why don’t you try to cut back this year? You don’t have to give up all your tech completely, but how about phone-free Fridays? Or you could try to have one weekend a month where you avoid using screens.
Read All About It Reading books isn’t just fun, it helps you to learn about other people, cultures and places. It’s also great for improving vocabulary! So a good resolution might be to set yourself a target for how many new books you want to read this year. Or how about making an effort to read more books with diverse characters, such as those with different cultures, races or religions to your own?
Spend More Time With God There’s no better resolution to make in 2024 than making sure your relationship with God is the best it can be. So, this year why don’t you try to pray every night before bed? Or read your Bible three times a week? You could also make an effort to tell more people about how awesome it is to be a Christian.
We hope you have fun planning a fab 2024!
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New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Felicity, George, Stockton.
Beve r ley-A n n Age? 10. Favourite colour? Yellow. Favourite food? Pepperoni pizza. Favourite sport? Netball. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! ? Patch. Favourite Bible story and why? Ruth, because she decided to leave her home and go with Naomi and she is a very kind lady. Favourite TV programme? Izzy’s Koala World. What do you want to be when you’re older? Own an animal sanctuary! Pets? Dog, cat, hamsters and fish. Hobbies? Running, swimming, crafting, sewing, netball and table tennis. Tell us a joke. What did the snowman say to the other snowman? ‘Do you smell carrots?’ What special skill or talent do you have? Running, netball. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I have an emerald crystal. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I have met Declan Rice (pictured above with Beverley-Ann).
If you’d like to star in our reader profile section we’d love to hear from you! Get a grown-up to send us an email using the addres s in the pink box opposite. Then we’ll send you the forms to complete. Birth Date ofAge
Name ch Corps / Chur
t Favourite spor
Favourite food ur Favourite colo programme Favourite TV E! of KIDS ALIV Favourite bit story Favourite Bible Why
Hobbies Pets want What do you
to be when
r you’re olde
! Tell us a joke
you have? skill/talent do What special t yourself? esting abou ething inter Tell us som
hing else you Is there anyt
tell would like to
us?
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Check out this wonderful World Space Week Colouring. It was sent to us by Archie, age 8. The super spaceperson looks so colourful!
This Father Christmas Colouring was coloured in by Larissa, age 6. What an awesomely creative idea to add some extra trees, characters and a sleigh.
Benjamin, age 6, sent this Father Christmas Colouring. We love the glitter that gives it that extra sparkle!
This bold and beautiful Dancing Colouring was completed by Lilou, age 6. What a spectacular skirt!
G et I n T To ouch! The Kids Alive! team loves to hear from its readers. And guess what – other readers love reading your news! So why not get in touch? You can email or post your own colourings, drawings and letters. Or you could ask your Sunday school, church or corps leaders to email us or write to us with any news about the fun stuff you’ve been doing at your church or corps. Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post: Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
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Happy new year, Robot and Patch.
it’s 2024!
Are you sure, Robbie?
I certainly am, Robot.
In that case, I think your digital clock is wrong.
Because when I looked just now it said that it’s…
…Ten past eight.
Silly Robot. I meant The year 2024 not the time 20.24!
Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2024. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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Please Recycle Me! 21/12/2023 11:39