Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7526
15 August 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
tyle and caring and an active lifes Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. l, for your physica
this week...
The Ultimate UK and Ireland Guide
this week...
Jesus Calms © 2025 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd
The
Pout-Pout Fish
W O N S A M E N I C N I
WIN!
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
Puzzle Answers
What’s Inside?
Turn this page upside down to read the answers
The Pout-Pout Fish and Ed’s Bit
4–5
KA! JAM
6
Proverbially Speaking
7
Patch’s Problem
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
10
Hello Kitty and Friends x Care Bears Competition
11
Creative Corner
12–13 KA! World
Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7526
15 August 2026 50P/60c
this week...
and caring and an active lifestyle Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. for your physical,
The Ultimate UK and Ireland Guide
Patch’s Pals Olive Forruthers
CROSSWORD ACROSS: 3 Sum. 5 Jacket. 6 Pay. 7 Night. 8 Nevis. 11 Pen. 12 Eclair. 13 Law. DOWN: 1 Baby. 2 Skin. 3 Stag. 4 Mitten. 6 Pencil. 9 View. 10 Salt. 11 Pair. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE WORDFIT 1 Doll. 2 Pill. 3 Dove. 4 Feat. 5 Part. New word: Liver. PATCH’S PROBLEM: Page 5. KA! JAM STORM SAVIOUR: Jesus.
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this week...
Jesus Calms
The
Pout-Pout Fish
14–15 Your Space 16
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
© 2025 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd
Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Saturday and Monday at 7.30–8am and every Sunday at 9–9.30am.
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IN CINEMAS NOW
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Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
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 morning started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles. Or listen any time you like with the podcast, which is available on our website and all major audio platforms.
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 Cara Mott DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Adams GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Elliott 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 Catherine and William Booth INTERNATIONAL LEADERS General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Andrew Stone Published weekly by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory.
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
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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07/08/2026 11:10
The
G
Pout-Pout
Fish
IN CINEMAS NOW © 2025 Like A Photon Creative Pty Ltd
rumpy, grouchy, bad-tempered, cantankerous (which means hard to please) – there isn’t a word that’s quite good enough to describe how gloomy Mr Fish actually is! In fact, Mr Fish is so stroppy that we reckon even the funniest flounder or the most humorous haddock wouldn’t be able to put a smile on his face. Although Mr Fish might just be the stroppiest fish in the ocean, he’s going to have to learn to work with the other fish that live around him. After Mr Fish’s home (which is a shipwreck) is destroyed, he joins a baby sea dragon called Pip on a mission to find Shimmer. Shimmer is a mysterious fish who Mr Fish believes has the power to grant any wish. On their journey to find Shimmer, Mr Fish and Pip will rescue jellyfish, help dolphins, and search for a missing whale child. Plus, they’ll find themselves in a race with a cuttlefish called Benji – who also wants to find Shimmer. Benji believes that Shimmer can only grant one fish’s wish, and so he’ll do anything to make sure that he finds her before Mr Fish or Pip can! By the end of this journey, Mr Fish might just realise why it’s so brilliant to be friends with the sea creatures that live around him – and he might just learn that smiling isn’t such a bad thing!
You can watch ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’ in cinemas now
I would describe Mr Fish as a ‘grumpy pants’. It’s what I call my daughters if they’re moping around the house being miserable. Thankfully my daughters’ grumpy moods don’t last long, but nothing seems to cheer Mr Fish up. All he wants to do is be by himself feeling miserable. Then there’s Pip – he’s full of positivity and swims into Mr Fish’s life and changes it for the better. What kind of person are you? Are you like Mr Fish or Pip? Do you like to be miserable and alone or share positivity with those around you? As friends of Jesus, he wants us to be like lights for those around us. That means sharing love, encouragement, positivity and kindness to others. If we do, we can change lives for the better, but we can also show people how amazing Jesus’ love is, and encourage them to be his friend too. Whose life can you lighten this week?
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Kids Alive! follows the Salvation Army Children and Youth’s Explore it! resource – go to salvationist.org.uk/resources/discipleship/explore-it
Following Jesus Jesus Calms
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Check out your Bible – Mark 4:35-41
Steve English
07/08/2026 10:43
ww
Read the comment below about how Jesus is in complete control
Don’t Fear!
T
his week’s Bible cartoon sees the disciples on a boat in the middle of a terrifying storm. Can you imagine how you’d feel if you were in their place? I reckon you’d be so frightened that your tummy would feel like it’s doing a backflip, and your knees would be wobbling like jelly. At least, I think that’s how I would feel if I was stuck on a sinking boat!
However, the disciples had forgotten something incredibly important. They’d forgotten that they were with Jesus, and that Jesus had the power to calm the storm they were facing! When the disciples woke Jesus up from his nap, I think they were hoping that he’d pick up a bucket and join them in scooping water off the deck. They weren’t expecting him to
says Jacob Adams
bring the storm to an end with just a few words! The disciples realised that Jesus had the power to save them from a scary storm – have you realised that Jesus is in complete control of any difficult situation in your life? When you’re finding a lesson at school far too tricky, you’ve had an argument with your friend or something sad is happening at home, don’t forget about Jesus! Instead of trying to fix whatever you’re facing by yourself, pray to Jesus and ask him to help you. Jesus loves you just as much as he loved his disciples, and he has more power than you could possibly imagine. That means that you can trust that Jesus can calm any storms you’re facing!
Storm Saviour Colour in the letters with a dot inside to discover who you can trust during any scary situation you face.
o g s J e u s d o Answer on Page 2 KA - p4-5 - 15 August.indd 2
5 07/08/2026 10:43
Proverbially Speaking top tips from proverbs
Top Tip 15 ur Creator;
yo e poor, you insult ect. If you mistreat th u show him resp yo , em th to nd ki if you are Proverbs 14:31
nglish Version)
(Contemporary E
. .. n i Jo
STEVE ENGLISH
Knowing the right thing to do is often a lot easier than actually doing it. That’s why King Solomon wrote the Bible book of Proverbs. It’s filled with hundreds of tips on how to live a godly life. So if you would like to live your life Jesus’ way, see if you can put this week’s top tip into action.
Action!
God made everyb ody and he loves ev eryone, no matter where th ey’re from or how rich or poor they are. This wee k, have a look thro ugh your clothes, toys and bo oks. If there is anyt hing you don’t use anymore, donate it to a char ity . When you do, you’ll be ho nouring God beca use you’ve done a kind deed for somebod y else.
KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through the Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sheet is filled with lots of great stuff about being a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-mag, Chatterbox, which is filled with jokes, games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prizes 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 version, simply fill in the coupon below.
To join KA! JAM just fill in the application form and send it – along with two first-class stamps – to: KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.
Name:
Date of birth:
Address: Postcode: Boy or girl: I, (signature)
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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 Salvation Army and that it is not a free subscription to Kids Alive!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS. 07/08/2026 11:07
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To n g u e Tw is t e r s
Patch’s ? Problem... ?
See if you can say this terrifically tough tongue twister 10 times!
Se th sel ls th ick soc ks at Sa ins bu ry’ s
? ?
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HELLO, READERS, I’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THE ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? I HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
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r e d n o W d l r o W
the globe there are magnificent things Our world is pretty awesome! All around jet and travel the world with us! to see. So jump in our imaginary jumbo
Big Ben In London you’ll find Big Ben – the Houses of Parliament’s famous clocktower. Or so most people think! Did you know that Big Ben isn’t the clock tower, it’s the massive bell inside? Nobody is sure who Big Ben is named after but it could be a large government official named Sir Benjamin Hall whose nickname was Big Ben or a heavyweight boxer called Ben Caunt. The tower is called Elizabeth Tower – it used to be called St Stephen’s Tower but was renamed in 2012 to honour Queen Elizabeth II. It’s possible to visit the tower on tours, but you have to be a UK resident and be sponsored by an MP. To get up to the top of the tower, you have to make your way up 334 steps – but once you’re there the view is fantastic!
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07/08/2026 11:28
o, H o h a, ha h ! e he h
He he, he he!
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
e, He h ! e he h
How do you talk to a fish? You drop it a line!
What do you call a fish with no eyes? Fsh! Why are fish so easy to weigh? Because they have their own scales!
Wordfit D
1
2
3
L E
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How do shellfish get to the hospital? In a clambulance!
To celebrate the release of ‘The Pout-Pout Fish’, put your drawing skills to the test by copying the design of a seahorse on the right into the empty grid.
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5
P
by Neil Locker
T
Fit the five given words reveal into the grid correctly to r blue a new word in the darke ve column. Some letters ha u. yo lp he been inserted to . dy Clue: Organ of the bo
DOLL DOVE FEAT PART PILL
Answ on P
ers
age
2
Crossword Crossword Clues across:
3 Total amount when adding numbers
together. 5 Outer part of a baked potato, or a light coat. 6 Wages. 7 Period of a h a, H
Clues
a, h a hmountain, darkness. 8 Highest Scottish ha ha!
Ben _ _ _ _ _. 11 Writing implement. 12 Long thin cream cake. 13 Regulation.
down: 1 Very young child. 2 Organ that covers the whole of your body. 3 Male deer. 4 Fingerless glove. 6 Drawing implement. 9 Outlook, or opinion. 10 Seasoning for , He he
food. 11 A couple, or matching items.h e h e! by Neil Locker
Who granted the fish’s wish? The fairy cod mother!
What do you call a fish with lots of money? A goldfish!
What is a fish’s favourite game? Salmon Says!
What did the fish say when it saw an old friend that it hadn’t seen in ages? ‘Long time no sea!’
the pout-pout f fiish W WO ORDSEARCH Find the ‘Pout-Pout Fish’-related words in the grid
MR FISH PIP MARIN SEA DRAGON SHIMMER CUTTLEFISH BENJI JELLYFISH DOLPHINS WHALE HECTOR EEL SHIPWRECK ARCHIE
c s m r f i s h k t e v r u f x j z c d p j e b s g t n d h l i r e l m h n e t o q p r e l s n i b u v l w x y m l z o p a e c p e d f m y h g w j l n h p f q i f z a r m a r i n s i h i c r e d h f n g h j s s k d c l wm s o p q r h t a k u v e i h c r a w x e y h e c t o r z b c d s
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H
ow do you celebrate your friendships? In this week’s fab competition, Cheer Bear (who’s one of the cutest Care Bears) and Hello Kitty’s sweet friendship is being celebrated with the Hello Kitty and Friends x Care Bears Plush 2 Pack. This adorable collectible set brings together Hello Kitty and Cheer Bear, with each friend dressed up as the other! Made from super-soft plush fabrics, these cuddly companions are perfect for hugs, imaginative adventures and displaying in any Care Bears or Hello Kitty collection. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or you’re only just discovering these iconic characters for the first time, this delightful duo is sure to bring smiles wherever they go! For the opportunity to win your own Hello Kitty and Friends x Care Bears Plush 2 Pack, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Hello Kitty x Care Bears Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 11 September when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Hello Kitty x Care Bears Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
WIN!
Which of the Care Bears is dressed up as Hello Kitty in this week’s competition? Cheer Bear
Grumpy Bear
Polite Panda
Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 07/08/2026 11:49
We Need Your Help! We think that children’s thoughts and opinions should always be listened to! We want everyone to be able to join in with The Salvation Army (who also publish Kids Alive!), so we have something important to ask you: ‘Imagine the best Salvation Army for children. What could it do to make sure children feel important?’ Perhaps there are ways they could involve, include or listen to children better. Or things children need more support with. You can use the space below to design, write, draw, paint or share your ideas. We can’t wait to hear what you think! To say thank you, we will send you a gift in the post and print some of your ideas in Kids Alive! Email your ideas to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘We Need Your Help!’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively, you can post your ideas 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.
Name:
Age:
Address: Postcode: Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page KA - p11 - 11 August.indd 1
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lifestyle, and caring ve ti ac d an y th al he a Living tual well-being iri sp d an l ta en m , al ic ys for your ph
The Ultimate UK and Ireland Guide From stunning landmarks to delicious dinners, there are so many fantastic reasons why the UK and Ireland are such spectacular places to call home! To celebrate England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to these five countries. Why not join us as we discover just some of the reasons why we believe that the UK and Ireland are absolutely brilliant?
In this week’s guide to the UK and Ireland, we’ll be exploring…
Inspiring People Throughout the UK and Ireland’s long history, plenty of truly inspiring people have called these islands their home! Let’s meet a few of them together.
England The Brontë Sisters One of the most talented families to ever live was the Brontës! All three Brontë sisters were wonderful writers, and they created some of the best novels in the world – such as Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily) and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne). These sisters grew up in West Yorkshire!
Lewis Hamilton If you love to watch Formula One racing, then we’ve got no doubt that you’ll have heard about one of the greatest drivers in the world – Lewis Hamilton! Lewis was born in Hertfordshire in 1985, and after years of competitive racing, he currently drives for Ferrari.
Ireland Mary Robinson Mary was the first woman to become the president of Ireland, serving in the role from December 1990 until September 1997! Throughout her time as president, Mary did so much to make Ireland a better place. In fact, in 2009 Mary was given an amazing medal by the USA to celebrate how much she cared for everyone around her!
Rhasidat Adeleke 12
Even if you’re an excellent runner, we reckon you definitely wouldn’t beat Rhasidat in a race! Rhasidat is an incredible Irish sprinter, and she currently holds seven national records. She’s only 23, which means there’s plenty of time for her to break a few more!
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Northern Ireland Liam Neeson A retired CIA agent, a Second World War hero and a Jedi – Liam Neeson’s an awesome actor who’s had lots of incredible roles! Liam was born in 1952 in Ballymena, but even though he’s now in his 70s, he’s still starring in plenty of fab films.
Rory McIlroy Born in Holywood in County Down, Rory McIlroy is an ace golfer who’s become well known around the whole world. In fact, he even spent some time as the world number one in the Official Golf Ranking!
Scotland Alexander Fleming Alexander was a Scottish physician who in 1928 made one of the greatest discoveries in human history – penicillin. Penicillin can be used to treat serious infections, which means that Alexander’s discovery has saved so many lives over the last (almost) 100 years!
Maud Sulter Born in 1960, Maud started her creative career as a writer (she was a particularly brilliant poet), before she shifted her focus to other skills, such as art and photography. One of her best series was called Zabat, which celebrated some of the many achievements of Black women.
Wales
Shirley Bassey
James Bond is a fictional super-spy who travels around the world – and Shirley Bassey is the incredible musician who sang three theme songs for his films! Although Shirley is now 89 years old, she’s still an absolute legend in Wales’s musical world.
Gareth Bale This magnificent footballer used to be one of the most expensive players in the world – and he also used to play for Wales’s national team! It was thanks to Gareth’s top-notch footballing skills that Wales were able to qualify for multiple UEFA Euro Championships!
Have these inspiring people encouraged you to do something amazing? KA - p12-13 - 15 August.indd 2
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Cool Colourings
ged 8, a , l i a g i Ab this created e awesom ader Cheerle g! Colourin it! We love
nning This stu reation C r o f e r Ca g is from Colourin ged 7. ,a Isabelle
We ask e readers d our to d their ow esign n toy and thi s is the cool cr eation t hat Emily, aged 1 0, came u p with! Great ima gination, Emily – I’d love to have one of your m ini foam squ ishies!
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Yandiswa, aged 11, also sent us a colouring to celebrate God’s wonderful world!
This fab r was firefighte in by coloured ged 3. ,a Zachary ! ork Great w
Lowri, aged 4, also coloured a really great cheerleader – we love the different colours!
Paignton’s Pukka Prizegiving The children at Paignton Salvation Army helped lead a special Sunday celebration. They each shared several of their favourite things, including what they like about coming to The Salvation Army, their favourite Bible story and their favourite song. Those that were there thoroughly enjoyed singing ‘My Lighthouse’ before four-year-old Florence sang her favourite song, ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’, at the top of her voice through the microphone! Six-year-old Arthur also introduced everyone to the meeting and shared a fantastic first cornet performance – despite losing a tooth 20 minutes before his performance! The morning ended with prizes for all members of the Sunday school and some tasty wafer biscuits chosen by three-yearold Joseph – these are his favourite thing about going to The Salvation Army!
G et I n To u c h !
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
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Bella, David, Emily Rose, Kayla, Ted, Rock Ferry.
H a p py B i r t h d ay t o yo u !
To see your name and birthday printed in a future issue of KA! email your full name and date of birth to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
21 August Willow Salvage-Buss – age 7
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every day i want you to practise one particular exercise.
next week, we’re going to do some work on your brownie sportsperson badge.
touching your toes.
next week ... how did you get on, Olive?
I couldn’t do it, brown owl. See.
but don’t worry, i have no problem...
...with touching other people’s toes!
Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2026. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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