Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7532
26 SEPTEMBER 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
BBC Pictures
this week...
tyle and caring and an active lifes Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. l, for your physica
Autumn Scrapbook this week...
Jesus Forgives
WIN!
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 26 September.indd 1
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What’s Inside?
Puzzle Answers Turn this page upside down to read the answers
3
Deadly 60 and Ed’s Bit KA! JAM
6
Bible Beasts and Where to Read About Them
7
Patch’s Problem
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
10
Cry Babies Competition
11
Colouring Corner
26 SEPTEMBER 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
BBC Pictures
4–5
Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7532
this week...
and caring and an active lifestyle Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. for your physical,
Autumn Scrapbook this week...
Jesus Forgives
12–13 KA! World
DEADLY 60 CHALLENGE A Scorpion. B Cheetah. C Eagle. D Hippo. E Polar bear. FOUR FIT 1 Pole. 2 Avid. 3 Semi. 4 Trot. New words: Past. Over. Limo. Edit. BIG MYSTERY: Tarantula. DOWN: 1 Cube. 2 Run. 4 Owlet. 5 Town. 6 Cyclist. 10 Goose. 11 Rain. 12 Stay. 15 Gel. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Corn. 3 Foot. 7 Bunny. 8 Low. 9 Agility. 13 Ago. 14 Sight. 16 Need. 17 Clay. PATCH’S PROBLEM: Page 14. KA! JAM WHICH WAY?: B.
14–15 Your Space 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.
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!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
16
Patch’s Pals Olive Forruthers
Subscribe* to
WIN!
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. *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. 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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S
BBC Pictures
altwater crocodiles, lions, polar bears and killer whales – the world we live in is full of more dazzlingly deadly animals than we could possibly imagine! In Deadly 60, a show which has been airing on CBBC since 2009 (which probably makes it older than most of our readers), a naturalist and explorer called Steve Backshall travels the world, searching for the most dangerous creatures he can find. Across his many adventures around the world, Steve’s encountered some ridiculously fast animals, such as cheetahs and puff adders. He’s found – and even held – quite a few creepy-crawlies. Now, in a new episode airing on CBBC on Friday 25 September, Steve will be travelling into the depths of the ocean to uncover some truly magnificent marine life! As he explores the coast of a country called Oman, Steve will be searching for leopard sharks – an awesome species that are harmless to humans, but are absolutely brilliant hunters. He’ll also be hoping to encounter an octopus (and, if you didn’t already know, they have three hearts)! Once Steve’s seen some awesome animals, he’ll add them to his list of 60 deadly creatures that he’s met over the course of the latest series of Deadly 60! If you want to encounter some of the world’s most magnificent animals, then this is a series which you won’t want to miss!
A new episode of ‘Deadly 60’ airs on CBBC on Friday 25 September at 5.30pm. You can also watch this episode and three other brand-new episodes on BBC iPlayer!
I’m a little bit of a wimp when it comes to scary animals – I don’t like snakes and when I see a spider in my house I’ll definitely squeal! So I’ll be watching the new episodes of Deadly 60 between my fingers as I cover my face with my hands. When I see a spider in my house, my first instinct is to squish it, but I know that it’s a much better idea to carefully carry it outside. Despite my fear of some creatures, I try to remind myself that all animals are part of God’s creation – he made them and saw that they were good. That means all living things in our world should be looked after and respected. That includes the ones that I find scary! So as you tune in to Deadly 60, remember that God cares about all animals and we need to look after and respect them too … yes, even spiders!
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Forgiveness for All
W
ihen I was a kid, my brothers and I were playing football in the house (something our mum always told us not to do) and we accidentally hit a vase and broke it. We felt awful. We even thought about hiding the evidence so that our mum wouldn’t find out. However, we decided to be honest – she was angry that we hadn’t listened to her, but she did forgive us. In this week’s Bible cartoon, the Pharisees (religious leaders at the time Jesus was on Earth) are angry again – this time because Jesus is hanging out and sharing food with people they think are sinners (people who had done wrong things). However, Jesus says something to them that’s very interesting. Jesus says healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do. Do you know what he meant by that? Jesus meant that people who do wrong things need him, because he can forgive their sins and help them to make better choices. This month in Kids Alive!, we’ve learnt about lots of situations where Jesus showed love to people that others chose to ignore. That includes the people in this week’s Bible cartoon – the tax collector and the woman had both made wrong choices, but Jesus loved and forgave them. None of us are perfect and we all make mistakes. Jesus knows this and, just like my mum forgave my brothers and me, Jesus loves and forgives us too. No matter what mistakes we make, we can talk to Jesus, say sorry and ask him for forgiveness.
Read the comment on the left about how we all make mistakes
by Cara Mott
Which Way?
Uh, oh! My brothers and I have just broken our mum’s vase. Which way should I go to make the right choice?
Hide the evidence and pretend it didn’t happen. Tell my mum that it was one of my brothers.
A B
Be honest with my mum and say sorry.
C
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Answer on Page 2 18/09/2026 10:09
Following Jesus Jesus Forgives
Check out your Bible – Matthew 9:9-13; Luke 7:36-39, 44-50 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 Beaststo
Do you love animals? Don’t you agree that they are a wonderful part of God’s creation? Did you know there are plenty of creatures that play special roles in the Bible? Let’s read a story from the Bible that’s being told by one of the beasts that was actually there!
Sneaky Snake
and Where Read About Them
Genesis 3
STEVE ENGLISH
. .. n i Jo
‘Adam and Eve were loving it in the Garden of Eden , and why not? They had everything they needed – food and shelter, plus each evening God came to visit them. They were truly living in paradise. So I came up with a plan to teach them a lesson. “Oh Eve!” I called. “Have you tried this lovely juicy fruit?” “No,” she replied, “God says we mustn’t or we’ll die.” ‘So I told her, “You won’t die, you’ll become as clever as God.” ‘That did it. She took a big bite and then gave some to Adam. Once they’d eaten the fruit things didn’t seem like paradise any more. God was angry and banished them from the garden, but he also made me slither on my belly. Not to worry, though – my evil plan worked!’
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. 18/09/2026 11:10
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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!
Wayne went to Wales
? ?
?
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.
?
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
Great Barrier Reef Off the east coast of Australia is one of the world’s most breathtaking natural wonders – the Great Barrier Reef. Stretching more than 2,300 kilometres, this coral reef is the largest living structure on the planet! It’s bigger than the United Kingdom and Ireland put together! The maze of colourful reefs and islands is home to loads of different plants and animals. There are more than 1,500 different species of fish, 133 types of shark and ray and 6 different species of turtle. All that life makes it a very popular place for snorkelling, scuba-diving and Nemo spotting! However, pollution and global warming threaten the reef’s future, and so does the crown-of-thorns starfish – these spiky predators feast on the coral, causing lots of problems.
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o, Ho h , a ha h ! e h e h
What do you call a camel with three humps? Lumpy!
What happened when the lion ate the clown? It felt funny!
e, He h ! e he h
deadly 6 60 0 WO R D S E A R C H Find the ‘Deadly 60’-related words in the grid
Crossword Clues by Neil Locker
across: 1 Cereal grass. 3 Body part at the end of a leg. 7 Another name for a rabbit. 8 Not high. 9 Nimbleness. 13 A long time _ _ _. 14 One of your senses. 16 Require. 17 Soft, mouldable mud used to make pottery and bricks.
Crossword down: 1Clues Shape of dice, for example. 2 Sprint. 4 Young nocturnal bird. 5 Urban area bigger than a village. 6 Person who rides a bike. 10 Hissing farm bird. 11 Wet weather. 12 Remain. 15 Hair-fixing product.
s Answeer2 on Pag
8
shark frogfish fruit bat eagle cheetah jaguar platypus puma polar bear hippo scorpion tiger cobra piranha rattlesnake crocodile o x b z f v g k r a h s p f r a u g a j c l c u p i r a n h a r w o f p i s e o r b o z r m r y h u g u g c r p v a u t e v i t o f i c m r i a l z t d q o i u y b t l g o i p n k p s j o b p a l n h a t e e h c a n e p o g c h r i x f t e r a t t l e s n a k e w d z l r a e b r a l o p
H o h o, ho ho! H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
H e h e, h e h e!
Ha h a, h a h a, ha ha!
tem tery i s y m glass ify the Ident magnifying in the
FOUR FIT
H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
H e h e, h e h e!
What runs round the forest making other animals yawn? A wild boar!
bered rows so Place the four words into the num the columns that four new words are formed in
TROT AVID POLE SEMI
How do apes travel across the air? By hot-air baboon!
Did you hear about the snail racer who ditched its shell? They thought it would make them faster but it just made them sluggish! by Neil Locker
d eadly 6 0 CHALLENGE The world is filled with many awesome animals. Can you identify the animals pictured below?
A
polar bear
B
C
D
E
HIPPO SCORPION EAGLE CHEETAH 9
H
WIN!
n o i t i t e p com
ow easy do you find it to go to sleep? For teeny-tiny babies, bedtime can be the trickiest part of their day. Parents and carers will often have to try lots of different tricks to help their baby to drift off, such as taking them on a long drive or giving lots of cosy cuddles! With this week’s competition, you’ll have the opportunity to win your own Cry Babies Sleep Routine baby doll – who you’ll have to help to get a good night’s sleep! This baby (called Jenna) is dressed in her pyjamas, but she’s not quite ready to go to sleep yet. With a special baby monitor, you’ll be able to check on Jenna from a distance. When she starts to cry, the monitor will guide you on how to comfort her – whether that’s giving her a dummy or singing soothing lullabies. For the opportunity to win your own Cry Babies Sleep Routine Jenna doll, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Cry Babies Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 23 October when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Cry Babies Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
What does baby Jenna come dressed in? Pyjamas
Football kit
Wetsuit
Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 18/09/2026 11:13
AUTUMN COLOURING Stunning sunsets, orange leaves blowing in the breeze, fireworks and light parties – autumn is a season that’s full of so much colour! To celebrate this magnificent (and slightly chilly) season, add a splash of colour to the design below – and then check out pages 12 and 13 for some more crafty autumn activities! If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colouring to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Autumn 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 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!
Name:
Age:
Address: Postcode: Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page KA - p11 - 26 September.indd 1
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H 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
Autumn Scrapbook We’re well and truly in the season of autumn – the time of year when trees begin to shed their leaves, the Sun starts to set earlier in the day and the air gets a little bit chillier.
To celebrate this stunning season, rip out these KA! World pages from your issue of Kids Alive! Keep it in your rucksack or on your dining room table. Then, up until the end of this season (which, according to some experts, is 30 November), fill in this two-page scrapbook to help you to remember all of your awesome autumn adventures!
Lovely Leaves To see how much the natural world changes in just a few months, fill in the circle (left) by sticking in lots of pieces of leaves that you’ve collected throughout autumn. Some of the leaves from the beginning of the season might be very green, and some collected at the end of the season might be very brown!
Spectacular Stargazing Now that it’s getting darker much earlier, you might be able to enjoy some stargazing before going to bed! Use a parent or carer’s phone to take a photo of the night sky, and then print and stick that photo (or your own drawing of it) into the space on the right.
STICK YOUR PHOTO HERE
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Ha,ha ! Memorable Moments
He,he!
Ha,h
a!
This autumn, has a pal or family member said something so brilliant you don’t want to forget it? Whether it’s some excellent advice or a ridiculous joke, write down what they said in one of the spaces below. By the end of autumn, you’ll hopefully have five fantastic quotes to look back on!
He,he!
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Let There Be Light Autumn is the season in which Halloween takes place, and Christians all around the world will be going to light parties to remember the light of Jesus. Over the course of this season, fill in this box with drawings of anything light or bright that you see.
Street lamps, light bulbs, candles, decorations, fireworks – draw until this box is packed full! As you’re drawing, take time to remember the light that Jesus brings to the world! As well as completing the activities on these pages, please do whatever you’d like to them – this scrapbook belongs to you! You could cover them in paint, draw all over them or cut them into pieces – let your imagination go wild!
What are you waiting for? Get scrapbooking! KA - p12-13 - 26 September.indd 2
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Cool Colourings This top to y design wa s sent to us by Alexander, aged 5!
Er yn Age? 8. Favourite colour? Blue. Favourite food? Cheesestring. Favourite sport? Swimming. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! ? Patch’s Problem. Favourite Bible story and why? Moses and the burning bush, because of the signs that God sends. Favourite TV programme? Night at the Museum . What do you want to be when you’re older? An actor. Pets? No, but I want a bunny. Hobbies? Swimming, cooking, drama and sleeping. Tell us a joke. What’s the fastest fruit in the world? A sat-zoomer! What special skill or talent do you have? Octopus tongue. Tell us something interesting about yourself. Cuddles. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? No.
xander! Howdy, Ale wesome I love your a wing so cowboy dra ve got much that I’ wboy hat myself a co w! too. Yee-ha
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
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Adah, aged 8, has done a fab job with this colouring. The sky looks beautifully blue!
Harper, aged 7, drew this cool car as her toy design because cars and tractors are her little brother’s favourite toys.
New Junior Soldier
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Michael, Parkhead.
Tomas, aged 13, has given his firefighter an awesome purple uniform – what a fantastic idea!
Abigail, aged 8, has also coloured a super Sun Awareness Week Colouring. That watermelon looks so delicious!
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
2 October Aflie Brown – age 10
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...SO, WE’RE GOING TO PERFORM A SHORT PLAY.
THIS EVENING WE’LL BE DOING SOME WORK TOWARDS YOUR BROWNIE ENTERTAINER BADGE…
BECAUSE IT’S OLIVE’S BIRTHDAY, I’VE SAID THAT SHE CAN PLAY THE STARRING ROLE.
ARE YOU READY, OLIVE?
YES, BROWN OWL!
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PLAY THE STAR ROLL!
THE SALVATION ARMY – A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND REGISTERED CHARITY
STAR ROLE ROLE, OLIVE, NOT STAR ROLL ROLL!
Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2026. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO
Please Recycle Me! 18/09/2026 10:27