Kids Alive! 17 December 2022

Turn this page upside down to read the answers.

Hey there, readers! I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this issue of Kids Alive! If you would like to get your own copy delivered to your home every week, why not add a Kids Alive! to your Christmas list and ask your parents or guardians 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 guardians 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) – all that fun for less money than the price of two chocolate bars a week (and healthier too!). And this way, you get a gift that lasts all year long!

*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.

This week’s cover is full of the joy of Christmas! It’s the winning design of the Christmas Card Competition by 14-year-old Siyona. Well done, Siyona! We love the candy cane, Christmassy wreath and Christmas tree spelling out JOY! It’s wonderful that the baby of the family also has a gift to give. There’s loads to enjoy at Christmas: festive decorations, yummy grub, time with family, fun games and getting prezzies. However, Siyona’s card reminds us that the most joyful thing about Christmas is the joy of giving! There’s something very special about giving a gift to someone. It doesn’t have to be big, expensive or fancy. It can even be homemade. When it’s wrapped up in love, it means the world to the person receiving it.

The greatest gift ever given was Jesus! God sent Jesus at Christmas to bring joy and peace to the world. He did this because he loves us. All we need to do to receive this awesome gift is to believe in Jesus and follow him. When we do, we become more and more loving and generous, re ecting God’s heart. So, tell others about Jesus and share the joy of giving this Christmas.

One of my favourite Christmas carols is ‘Joy to the a Salvation Army band!

God’s Plan is a Good Plan!

Ilove surprises! And I love planning surprises too – for example, one day next week their Papa (grandad) will come with me to collect them from school. They have no idea and I can’t wait to see their faces when they spot him.

Sometimes, my wife and I let the girls know that a surprise is on its way, but we don’t reveal what it is. It drives our daughters crazy, and they nag us to let them in on the secret. That’s when we say, ‘If we tell you, it won’t be a surprise. Just be patient and trust us. It’s going to be good!’

I’m not sure I would have enjoyed the surprise Joseph received in the Nativity story, though.

says Justin Reeves

Goodness knows how he felt when he discovered the girl he was going to marry was having a baby that wasn’t his. His head must have been spinning!

Just when he’d settled his mind on a plan, he got another surprise. An angel appeared to him in a dream and basically told him, ‘That surprise baby Mary’s having is the son of God. It’s all part of God’s plan. Trust him. It’s going to be good!’

Life throws up all sorts of surprises – good and not so good – all the time. The good news is that God is with you all the time too and he has a plan for you. Trust him – it might be a surprise, but his plan’s a good one!

Name:

A d ve n t Re f l e c t i o

During Advent, we look forward to the arrival of Jesus at Christmas. In Isaiah 9:6, Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. This Advent season let’s welcome God’s peace.

Spreading Peace

Luke 2:8–20

On the night Jesus was born, a choir of angels announced his birth to some shepherds, who were watching their sheep. The angels sang about how God’s peace had come to Earth! The shepherds went from being scared to excited and then full of joy. When they saw Jesus they knew that God’s love for them was real and they couldn’t help but share all the amazing things the angel had said about him.

Jesus came to bring peace to the whole world and, as his friend, you can share Jesus’ peace with others too. This could mean forgiving people when they upset you, helping others or standing up for those who are treated unfairly. But most importantly, you can share with people the good news that Jesus loves them too!

P ra ye r

Dear Jesus,

Help me to share your peace by making choices that bring people together in a kind and loving way. Amen.

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 rst-class stamps – to: KA! JAM, 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.

Date of birth: Address:

Postcode: Boy or girl: 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!

I, (signature) PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.

by Neil Locker

WabobaCompetitionBundle

Tis the season for carols, candy canes and Christmas jumpers! Now you can add to the festive fun with a bundle of Waboba high- ying toys. There’s a limited-edition Wingman ‘Ugly Sweater’ frisbee and MoonShine ball for yourself, and a Woofpack gift for your dog!

The award-winning Wingman ‘Ugly Sweater’ frisbee is indoors and outdoors safe. It’s fun for kids and grown-ups, ies more than 39 metres and doesn’t veer off course. You can squish it in your hand and t it snugly in your pocket!

MoonShine is a gravity-defying ball that lights up when it bounces. It can reach a height of up to 30 metres! With more than 100 hours of battery life, you can keep on playing after it’s dark. MoonShine also makes a fun ‘pop’ sound when it hits the ground.

As well as prizes for yourself this week, you can get your pooch’s tail wagging with Woofpack’s three retrieval toys for air, land and water play. There’s a soft, rubber Jetwag Disc, high-bouncing Tailwind Ball and a Fetch Ball that bounces on water. However, these aren’t chew toys, so don’t leave your dog to play with them on its own.

For your opportunity to win a Waboba bundle of toys*, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Waboba Bundle Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 13 January when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Waboba Bundle Competition, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.

Jetwag Disc

Fet Ba Whi W fpa toy can bounce on water?

Tailwind Ba

Name: Address: Postcode: Age:

Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk

with anyone who passes by.

peace and joy of Christmas

it in your window to share the

Colour this design and put

Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Cracking Christmas

Do you nd Christmas a fantastically-festive time of year? There’s so much to do and enjoy – it’s cracking! So join us as we explore some of the most-loved Christmas traditions and get creative.

Tinsel-tastic Tunes

‘White Christmas’ is a classic Christmas song. It’s so popular that it’s still the best-selling single of all time! But that’s not all that’s interesting about this terri c tune. The song played an unusual role in the Vietnam War. As North Vietnamese tanks rolled into Saigon in April 1975, the prearranged signal for all Americans to evacuate the area was the sound of ‘White Christmas’ playing on the radio.

Wonderful Words

Kissing under mistletoe at Christmas is a tradition that’s been around for a long time. Mistletoe is a plant with white berries that grows on the branches of some trees. Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds while sitting on branches. Nobody is 100 per cent sure why it’s a tradition to kiss under it, but do you know what the word mistletoe means? It’s believed it comes from an old word which means dung and tan meaning twig. So mistletoe means poo on a stick! Doesn’t sound so romantic now, does it?

Foody Fact

Do you like eating candy canes at Christmas? If you do, you won’t be the only one, but do you know where these delicious treats come from? Some people believe that candy canes were invented in 1670 by a German choir leader at Cologne Cathedral. It’s thought that he handed out sugar sticks shaped like shepherds’ crooks to keep the kids quiet during the service.

Building a snowman on Christmas Day is the dream for many children (and grown-ups!). But it would take you a while to build one as big as the one in Bethal, Maine in 2008. This snowman – well, actually it’s a snow woman – was built over a month and measured a staggering 37.21 metres tall! That’s only a few metres shorter than the Statue of Liberty (not including the pedestal she stands on!). No wonder they needed 13 million pounds of snow!

Chill Out Time

Thread your needle again, but this time use the embroidery thread. Start from the inside at the top and sew one side of the shape together. Leave the bottom open so you can add stuf ng later.

Insert some toy stuf ng into the inside of your decoration until it’s full – including all the corners.

Pin the shape on to the felt material then cut the shape out of the felt. Repeat this so you have two shapes that are exactly the same.

Cut a bit of ribbon and fold it into a loop. Place it at the top of your decoration, in between the two shapes. Sew it on to the inside of the back shape and then sew down the other side to join both shapes. Tuck all your loose thread ends inside your decoration.

Runners-up

Pets? A dog called Roo. Hobbies? Photography and art. Tell us a joke. What do you call a house-elf in a hotel? Dobby in a lobby! What special skill or talent do you have? I can do a front flip on a trampoline. Tell us something interesting about yourself. My tongue can reach my nose and chin. Is there anything else you would like One of my family members