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3 Look Up! and Ed’s Bit 4–5 KA! JAM 6 Bumper Bible Breakdown 7 Kiddo 8–9 Giggle in the Middle 10 Monkey Mayhem Competition 11 Colouring Corner 12–13 KA! World 14–15 Your Space 16 Patch’s Pals Percy the Penguin
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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.
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EDITOR Cara Mott
DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham
TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
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.
Love One Another
Did you know that Jesus calls us his friends? That’s right! He doesn’t just want us to follow him, he wants a close friendship with us. And do you know what he tells his friends to do? Love one another! Jesus showed us the greatest love by giving his life for us. He says the best kind of love is when we put others !rst. That means sharing, helping someone who is sad, and being kind to others even when it feels hard to do.
Jesus also said, ‘I am the vine, and you are the branches.’ This means we need to stay close to him, just like a branch stays connected to a vine. A branch needs the vine to grow and produce fruit, and we need to be connected to Jesus for us to grow in love, kindness, and faith.
Jesus says, ‘I chose you.’ Isn’t that amazing? Jesus picked you to be his friend! He wants you to spread love and kindness everywhere you go. When we love others like Jesus, we are doing exactly what he asks.
So, let’s remember what Jesus says in this week’s Bible cartoon – ‘Love each other as I have loved you.’ Stay connected to him, and your life will be full of his love! Who can you show love and kindness to today?
by Alfie, aged 11, from Sunderland
Fruit
The vines and the branches have become tangled up. Trace your way through the vines to find the fruit of ‘kindness’.
Read the comment on the left about how Jesus tells us to love others
A B C D
Check out your Bible –John 15:12-17
Love God, Love Others
Bumper Bible Breakdown
In our reader pro!le section of Kids Alive!, we ask our readers to tell us what their top Bible story is. We’ve looked back over every answer given since 20 April 2024. Join us in this very special Bumper Bible Breakdown as we ‘break down’ your favourite Bible stories!
Top Bible Stories
Over the last year, we’ve had 54 kids tell us what their favourite Bible stories are (including 3 kids in this issue).
After counting how many times each story was mentioned, there are three stories that came out on top as our readers’ clear favourites!
In third place, chosen by eight readers, was Daniel and the lions’ den! This story tells us all about how God protected Daniel from the teeth and claws of some !erce lions. In second place, chosen by 10 readers, was the Nativity story! We can see why it’s a favourite. Angels, shepherds, wise men and the birth of our Saviour –what’s not to love?
Now it’s time to reveal your top story. Drum roll, please… With 13 votes, it’s Noah’s ark! This story tells us about how God protected Noah and the animals from a deadly ood. Do you agree that these are the top three Bible stories? Write to us at kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk to let us know!
Name:
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 !ll in the application form and send it – along with two KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.
Date of birth:
Address:
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Boy or girl: Do you attend a church, and if so, which one?
I, (signature)
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.
There are 195 countries in the world. We’re going to explore 26 of them, using the alphabet to decide where to go to next!
Q for Qatar
Qatar is a country in West Asia. It’s the only country in the world to start with the letter Q! Football is by far the most popular sport in Qatar. The FIFA World Cup was held there in 2022! The national animal of Qatar is the Arabian oryx, which is a type of antelope with extra-long horns.
Readers’
We need to eat a balanced diet to be healthy. This means that we need to eat dairy, fruits, grains, proteins and vegetables! However, not every animal needs the kind of diet that a human does. Rowan, aged 7, told us that his favourite fact is that lions just eat meat! They don’t like eating plants, although they might eat some grass if it’s in their prey’s tummy!
Hello, readers, i’M PATCH AND I’VE GOT A PROBLEM I THINK YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH. i’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? i HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
You might know the date that Valentine’s Day is on or the name of the current king of the United Kingdom. However, some of our readers have also got a few very random facts stored in their noggins! Here are a couple of fun facts that you de!nitely (and by de!nitely, we mean don’t really) need to know.
If you’re really thirsty and really hungry at the same time, then this next fact should give you an idea of two things that you could eat. Amelia, aged 7, told us that her favourite fact is that watermelons are made up of around 92% water, and cucumbers are made up of around 96% water! That means that they’re both very refreshing to eat when the weather’s warm.
Hehe,hehe!
What did the tree say when it won a prize?
‘I just woodn’t believe it!’
From Samuel, aged 12, Buckingham
Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon?
Because she’ll ‘Let it go, let it goooo!’
From Ella, aged 6, Largs
Why wasn’t the cactus invited to hang out with mushrooms?
It wasn’t a fungi!
From Malachi, aged 14, Kent
by Neil Locker
across:
1 Enemy. 3 Large bag for potatoes, for example. 6 Musical drama. 7 Flightless bird. 8 Outer surface of a tree. 10 Warmth. 12 Ignited or set fire to. 13 Country whose capital is New Delhi. 15 Where one lives. 16 Pastry-covered food item.
down:
1 Game also called soccer. 2 Organ of sight.
Find the Look Up!-related words in the grid
3 Simple card game. 4 Largest of the Greek islands. 5 Item of luggage. 9 Mathematical proportion. 11 Fruit which is ready to eat. 14 Brief swim. Haha,haha, ha ha!
Monkey Mayhem Competition
Picture this – you’re a monkey! Not just a monkey, but a big, hairy, chest-thumping monkey. And you’re not the only monkey around, because all of your friends and family are monkeys too. Now you and your monkey pals are about to play an intense game of cards, and the prize is the very thing that monkeys probably love more than anything else – a banana! OK, we know this sounds bananas, but if you also think that it sounds like a lot of fun, then we’ve got an a-peel-ing game for you! In Monkey Mayhem, each player pretends that they’re a monkey. They collect and get rid of cards, up until someone thinks that the numbers on their cards add up to the lowest score. Then, like a monkey that hasn’t eaten all day, that player shouts ‘banana’ and grabs the banana, bringing the round to an end. But look out – there’s also a wrench, and if that gets grabbed then the highest hand wins!
For your opportunity to win a Monkey Mayhem game*, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
Remember to put ‘Monkey Mayhem Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 23 May when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by !lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Monkey Mayhem Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
Name:
Address:
*Prizes are subject to availability
What should a player shout at the end of a round of Monkey Mayhem?
Hoo Hoo Banana Sausage
PSALM 121 COLOURING
The theme of this year’s International Day of Children and Young People is inspired by a beautiful song in the Bible – Psalm 121! Psalm 121, written by King David, reminds us that God looks after us and protects us. Why not take some time to remember that God is with you by adding a splash of colour to the design below? If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colouring to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Psalm 121 Colouring’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your colouring to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to !ll 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!
Name: Age:
Address:
Postcode:
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Look Up!
If you were to look up right now, what would you see? If you’re reading this issue in bed, then you’d probably see your bedroom ceiling. If you’re reading outside, then you’d see the sky.
It’s International Day of Children and Young People (IDCYP) tomorrow (27 April), and this year the theme is Look Up! This theme comes from Psalm 121, which reminds us that no matter where we are, we can ‘look up’ and think about God!
Look Up to God
When we look up at the sky, we’re looking at something that God has made! In fact, God has made this whole world, so everything that you see is the result of God’s fantastic creativity.
We can all go through hard times, can’t we? That might look like falling out with a friend, moving to a new school or something else entirely! However, we can look up and know that God, our amazing creator, cares for us and is always there when we need help.
In this tiny box, try to write as many of the hard things that you’ve been through as you can! Then remember that all of our struggles are tiny when we compare them to God’s love!
Look Up from Distractions
Imagine this – you’re sat down in your living room about to do your homework. What’s the most likely thing that’s going to distract you? Is it a funny show playing on your television, the loud music your sibling is blasting out of their phone or your dog trying to get you to play?
Just like it’s easy to lose our focus while doing homework, it’s easy to be distracted from spending time with God! However, God wants us to ‘look up’ from what’s going on in our lives – he wants us to see how important he is!
So why not take a break from things that might distract you, such as phones and tablets? Instead, make time to spend with God. You could enjoy the world that God has made by going on a nature walk, or you could journal some of your thoughts that you’d like to share with God.
Look Up at Each Other
Have you ever noticed someone walking outside while looking down at their phone? To be honest, they’d be much better looking up from their phone and paying attention to the people around them. Otherwise, they might walk into someone!
We should look up from the distractions in our lives and pay attention to the people around us too! It’s only by looking up and paying attention to others that we can build fab relationships and encourage each other. One way that you could do this is by sharing lunch with some friends and then praying together!
Look Up for Hope
When you feel stressed or uncertain, you might also feel a bit hopeless. However, those are some of the best times to look at the sky and remember that God is with you. Not only is God with you, but he even sent Jesus to die for you! So if you’re a Christian, then you can have so much hope for the future – because one day you’ll get to live with God!
Look Up Together
IDCYP is a superb opportunity to look up and think about God with friends and family. So why not try to make it to a Salvation Army church to join in with the fun on 27 April? If your church isn’t celebrating IDCYP this weekend, ask your church leaders if you can celebrate another time. To help you remember why you need to ‘look up’ there’s a new song which has been written speci!cally for IDCYP – check it out at salvationarmy.org/ihq/idcy25.
Look up to God and remember that he’s always with you!
Age? 9.
Shawn
Favourite colour? Red.
Favourite food? Pizza.
Favourite sport? Football.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Comic.
Favourite Bible story and why? Noah’s ark, because Noah saves all the animals from the flood.
Favourite TV programme? EYStreem.
What do you want to be when you’re older? A scientist.
Pets? No pets.
Hobbies? Art, gaming and reading.
Tell us a joke. What bear is the most condescending? A pan-duh!
What special skill or talent do you have? Writing.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I have won a certificate for writing a poem.
Age?
Kyra
Favourite colour? Blue.
Favourite food? Pasta.
Favourite sport? Football.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive! Patch’s Pals.
Favourite Bible story and why? Moses in the basket, because his mum really wanted to save him. So she came up with a good plan, and I like how God looked after him.
Favourite TV programme? Deadly 60.
What do you want to be when you’re older? A zookeeper, because it’s fun and I love animals. I want to look after them.
Pets? Indie – my dog.
Hobbies? Swimming and football. Tell us a joke. What do you call a man with a piece of wood on his head? Edward!
What special skill or talent do you have? I’m a good swimmer and I’m good at baking.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I help a boy called Jamil who lives in Uganda. He doesn’t have much food or any parents.
Matthew
Age? 11.
Favourite colour? Red.
Favourite food? Fried chicken.
Favourite sport? Badminton.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!?
The reader profile.
Favourite Bible story and why? Rahab and the spies, because she was willing to help the spies. Even though she was risking her life, she trusted that the spies would help her and her family.
Favourite TV programme?
I rarely watch TV. I like to watch the Superbook channel.
What do you want to be when you’re older? I want to be an actor.
Pets? I don’t have any pets.
Hobbies? Watching movies.
Tell us a joke. Do you know why we can’t trust stairs? Because they’re always up to something!
G e t I n T o 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
H a p p y
B i r t h d a y t o y o 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
What special skill or talent do you have? I can dance, sing and play some musical instruments. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I can make an owl sound using my hand and mouth. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I am originally from Indonesia. I moved here with my family. Because of this move, I am skipping year five and joining year six. It’s fun to be in year six!
