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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 EDITOR Cara Mott DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Adams
Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth
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.
CBEEBIES panto: cinderella
'You Shall Go to the Panto!' CBEEBIES panto: cinderella
Have you ever been to watch a play at a theatre before? team loves going to the theatre, but we do have to be on our best behaviour. Sit still, eat our sweeties quietly, don’t sing along or shout out – there are so many rules to follow! That is, of course, unless we’re going to watch a pantomime!
Pantomimes are special musical plays that are often based on fairy tales. However, there’s one thing about pantos that particularly make them stand out – they’re very, very fun (and often super silly too). Rather than sitting quietly during a panto, you might find yourself laughing until you cry at a ridiculous joke. Or you might join in with the rest of the audience to cheer or boo at someone on stage!
If that sounds fantastic to you, then we’ve got good news. Pantomime plays are mostly put on between the end of November and the middle of January, so you’ve got plenty of time to watch a show. There’ll be loads of pantomime performances all around the country, which you could go to see with friends or family! Plus, CBeebies have put on a special panto of their own that you can watch at home, without having to go anywhere. This panto retells a very famous fairy tale – Cinderella!
You can watch ‘CBeebies Panto: Cinderella’ today (6 December) at 9.25am on CBeebies, or at any time you’d like on BBC iPlayer
Are you looking for even more fab pantos to watch at home? There are 14 CBeebies pantomimes available to watch at bbc.co.uk/iplayer/group/m0026c1h
If you’d like to find a pantomime performance near you, then check out allpanto.co.uk
My daughters love going to the panto – so much so that it’s one of the first things we book into our festive calendar. I think one of the things they love most about going to the panto is the chaos! They’re so often told to be quiet and sit still at school, so it’s lovely for them to have the opportunity to shout out and get involved in the chaos.
Psalm 150 talks about praising God with trumpet blasts (which I can tell you are very loud!), clashing cymbals and dancing. When I read this psalm, I always think that it sounds chaotic – a bit like a panto! However, I also think that it sounds joyful, and that’s what praising God should be like. The writer of Psalm 150 ends by saying that we should all praise God, so get involved in the chaos, everyone – and be as loud as you want!
God is With You
Oince, when I was walking home from school, i something happened that meant that I had to trust God. A bike was speeding along the path behind me. I turned around to look and then … WHAMMM! All of the air inside me had vanished and I felt winded. I realised while lying in a heap on the floor that I couldn’t walk because of a big pain in my leg. My dad carried me home. I then had to go to hospital where they told me that two of my bones had snapped because of the crash!
I remember it being so painful in the first few days. I know God loves me and wants the best for me, so I made a choice to trust God and I prayed that he would help me to feel better. It didn’t fix my leg, but it was much less painful! It was like God was saying, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am with you.’
In today’s cartoon Bible story, we read about an angel telling Mary that she was going to have a baby boy, and that he would be the son of God! This was probably quite nerve-racking because it meant that she would have a very important job. Mary trusted God with her future because she knew that he loved her so much. If we trust God, he can do miraculous things inside us, and in our lives, that seem impossible.
Read the comment on the right about trusting God
Crack the Code
Use the code on the right to work out what the phrase below says
How do you feel about this story? Does knowing God loves you make it easier to trust him? Where is God telling you to not be afraid in your life?
by Archie, aged 7
Came Down
Check out your Bible –Luke 1:26-38, 57-66
Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get excited about the birth of Jesus – no matter where you live. Did you know that people from different countries celebrate the Christmas story in lots of unique ways? Join us as we discover unique Christmas traditions from around the world!
If you were a Christian living in Ukraine, it would be hard to have a bigger dinner than the Sviata Vecheria. This is a meal that’s eaten late in the evening on Christmas Eve, and its name in English is ‘Holy Dinner’. This dinner always has 12 dishes of food to be shared! The reason there should be exactly 12 dishes is because Jesus had 12 disciples when he was a grown-up. This tradition helps people to remember that there’s far more to Jesus than just the Nativity story – he did amazing things throughout his whole life!
Christians in Ukraine don’t stop celebrating Jesus once their Christmas Eve dinner is finished. On Christmas Day, they’ll often go to special church services, where children will put on a puppet show, which is known as a vertep They’ll also greet one another by saying, ‘Christ is born!’
Ukraine Join... Joy to the World
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:
Address:
Boy or girl:
I, (signature)
Date of birth:
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 Salvation Army and that it is not a free subscription to Kids Alive!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.
When I Grow Up
What do you want to be when you grow up? To help you learn about a job that you might be interested in, we’ve asked a grown-up to tell us all about what they do for work. It’s time to meet a…
Patch’s Problem...?
? ? ?
?
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.
Toymaker!
What’s the most spectacular toy you can possibly imagine? Perhaps it’s a teddy bear that’s as tall as a skyscraper, or a toy rocket that can actually fly to the Moon! Guess what? I could make both of those! In fact, I can make pretty much anything.
Let me introduce myself. My name’s Elsie, I work at the North Pole Toy Factory and I’m an elf who makes toys! I’ve actually been working for Santa for more years than I can count, so I’ve become pretty good at my job. I don’t want to brag, but I might just be the best toymaker in the whole world. Every morning, I get to design and make thousands of new toys, ready to be wrapped by my handy assistants (and sometimes, if he’s a bit bored, Rudolph). Mrs Claus wouldn’t be too happy with me if I gave away exactly how your toys are made, so I’ll just give a few words as a clue – candy canes, fairy dust and far too much glue! If I’m being honest, I think my job is better than anyone else’s. Every time I read a Christmas list that’s been sent to the North Pole, my imagination goes wild and I can’t wait to start creating. I’ve actually had a list arrive in my postbox right now, so I’d better get to work!
The answers to the clues run from the outer segments towards the middle, so they all end with the same letter. We’ve given you the middle letter of each answer and, when you’ve finished, the letters in the outer segments will spell a six-letter word reading clockwise from number one. Clue: Traditional setting for the Nativity.
Ho ho, ha ha, he he! He he, he he!
What kind of pet does Aladdin have? A flying car-pet!
How did Cinderella fix her torn dress? With a pumpkin patch!
What do you call a fairy that doesn’t like baths? Stinkerbell!
Why was Cinderella terrible at tap dancing? She kept losing her shoes!
Who helped Fisherella get to the ball? Her fairy codmother!
Why is Peter Pan always flying? Because he Neverlands!
Why was Cinderella banned from every restaurant? Because she kept running away from the bill!
Identify the mystery item in the magnifying glass
Crossword Clues
across:
Crossword Clues
1 Small restaurant. 3 Seasonal treat, Christmas _ _ _ _. 7 One of the gifts of the wise men. 8 Christmas carol, ‘_ _ _ Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’. 9 Seasonal song, ‘Ding Dong _ _ _ _ _ _ _ On High’. 13 Traditional carol, ‘The Holly And The _ _ _’. 14 ‘The Twelve Days Of Christmas’ gift, _ _ _ _ _ maids a-milking. 16 Entry to garden.
down:
1 Christmas carol, ‘O _ _ _ _, All Ye Faithful’. 2 Evergreen often used as a Christmas tree. 4 Heavenly being who appeared to the shepherds. 5 Nickname for Edward. 6 Author of A Christmas Carol, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Dickens. 10 Country of the pyramids. 11 Carol, ‘Hark! The Herald Angels _ _ _ _ ’. 12 The wise men followed one from the east. 15 Oxygen, for example.
by Neil Locker
c b e e b i e s pa n to
WO R D S E A R C H
Find the CBeebies Panto-related words in the grid
ICOMPETITION WIN!
f the Kids Alive! team had to make something right now to wear outside, we might create a pair of gloves – using some very holey socks and plenty of string. Or we might craft a top hat out of a cardboard box and an old T-shirt. We’re being silly, of course – but making something that you can wear really can be a lot of fun, can’t it?
With the Decoden Magic kits, you can now create your own accessories that you can wear when you’re out and about! Each kit comes with puffy glue, kawaii (which means cute) charms, beads and gems. These can be used to decorate hair slides, clips and headbands! For this week’s competition, the Decoden Magic: Think Pink Creations kit is up for grabs. This kit is as pink as the name suggests, so we hope you’re ready to create some stunning pink accessories! For the opportunity to win your own Decoden Magic: Think Pink Creations kit, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Decoden Magic Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 2 January when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Decoden Magic Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
The Decoden Magic set is available from The Entertainer
Which of the following comes in a Decoden Magic kit?
Beads Gloves Top hat
Name:
Address:
MAKE A CHRISTMAS CARD
Christmas cards are a fantastic way to show love to others at Christmas. So here’s a Christmas card design that you can make to share some festive joy! Whether you give it to a friend, family member or neighbour, they’ll love that you’ve thought of them and shared a ‘Happy Christmas’!
What You Need
The design on the right or a print of the design on the right. A piece of A5 card (or cut a piece of A4 card in half). Scissors. Paints, pens, pencils and crayons for colouring in. Bright and colourful stuff to cut out and stick on to make a collage. Glue. A grown-up to help. Your imagination.
What To Do
1 Cut out the ‘Happy Christmas’ design and stick it on to a piece of A5 card or print it on to a piece of card and cut it out.
2 Use paints, pens, pencils and crayons to colour in and add to the design. Or cut out some bright and colourful shiny stuff and stick it on to make a collage.
3 Fold the card in half.
4 Write a message to someone you think is wonderful inside the card and give it to them.
Coloured by
Happy C hristmas
Living a healthy and active lifestyle, and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being
Christmas Memory Making
Sometimes it can be hard to remember what you had for dinner yesterday, or the name of a new teacher at your school. However, there are some memories that are so spectacular that you might never forget them!
For the Kids Alive! team, some of our favourite memories have been made during Christmastime. Playing games with our families, unwrapping presents, eating Brussels sprouts (well, maybe not that one) – there are so many opportunities to make magnificent memories!
Looking for ideas for how you can make some marvellous memories of your own? Over the next two pages, the Kids Alive! team will give some fab memory-making suggestions – and we’ll also share a few of our favourite memories too!
Cara’s Festive Memory
‘Every year, my family used to drive up to Scotland on Boxing Day to see my gran. Then we’d go up to the Cairngorms National Park to spend New Year there in a log cabin. There was often lots of snow! For a Londoner, being able to build snowmen and have snowball fights was a dream come true.’
Get Outdoors
One of the best ways to make memories at Christmastime is to enjoy the beautiful wintry outdoors. You could…
Search for spectacular wildlife that’s common during winter, such as owls, red squirrels and red foxes. To find out more about wildlife you can spot during the winter, visit woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2025/01/winter-wildlife-watching-what-where-when
Check out the Christmas lights that have been put up in your village, town or city! You could go on a late-night walk with friends and family.
Sing Christmas carols outside! You can find out whether your local church will be singing carols outdoors, or you could arrange to go carolling with some family and friends.
Philippa’s Festive Memory
‘My dad used to take me to the local florist (which is a place where flowers are sold) in the village, so that he could buy me a Christmas balloon! I always got excited to pick which balloon would be in the house each Christmas.’
Ibukun’s Festive Memory
‘My favourite memory from Christmas was getting together with family. Everyone would come to my house, and my mum would do a three-course meal. There would always be a prawn cocktail for starters, followed by a Christmas roast and then a homemade apple crumble! It always felt special and lovely having everyone around.’
Memories at Home
Ibukun’s fave festive memory shows us that we can make fantastic Christmas memories at home. You could…
Help to decorate your home’s Christmas tree! You could even make a few decorations of your own to hang up.
With the help of your parents or carers, prepare a delicious snack for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve! You could leave out carrots for the reindeer, and milk and cookies for Father Christmas.
Snuggle up with your family or friends to watch a fab Christmas film. Why not check out Home Alone on Disney Plus, or That Christmas on Netflix?
Jacob’s Festive Memory
‘My family would always go to watch a film on Christmas Eve. One year, we went to see a film that was so terrible that my whole family spent the rest of the evening talking about how bad it was! As much as I love unwrapping presents, eating delicious dinners and singing carols, that memory is one of my favourites.’
Your Turn
What’s a fab Christmastime memory that you’ve made? Use the space below to draw or write about it.
We hope you make lots of fab memories this Christmas!
Cool Colou ri ngs
So many of our readers enjoyed completing our Gabby’s Dollhouse Colouring! Look at all these fantastic creations we’ve received – great work, everyone!
David, aged 6
Connie, aged 9
Daniel, aged 6
Esme, aged 3
Isabelle, aged 6
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army Bailey, Boston; Evelyne, Halle, Kerwyn, Waisley, Enfield; Christelle, Emily, Shildon; Kiitan, Oliver, Stapleford.
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
7 December
Shay Rizzo – age 12
8 December Finley Grosvenor – age 12
David, aged
7
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.
Prevail
Age? 7.
Favourite colour? Gold. Favourite food? Noodles and plantain.
Favourite sport? Football.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Colouring Corner.
Favourite Bible story and why? The birth of Jesus, because of the happiness and hope his birth brought us.
Favourite TV programme? Hot Wheels.
What do you want to be when you’re older? Engineer.
Pets? None.
Hobbies? Gaming, drawing, singing.
Tell us a joke. Why did the student eat his homework? Because the teacher told him it would be a piece of cake!
What special skill or talent do you have? Dribbling, bowling.
Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
Post: Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I can do a backflip. I can act and make people laugh. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I love colouring.
I AM, CAP’N. HOW ON EArth is father christmas going to find us stuck out in the middle of the ocean? IT’S NOT AS IF HE’S GOT SATNAV.
YOU’RE RIGHT ABOUT ME NOT HAVING SATNAV, pirate, BUT I HAVE SOMETHING THAT’S MUCH BETTER…
