Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7288
18 December 2021
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationarmy.org.uk/kidsalive
50p
Celebrating the 140th Anniversar y of Kids Alive!
Picture: BBC/Magic Light Pictures
this week...
Advent and Christmas
Pick Out Patch
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationarmy.org.uk KA - P1 - 18 December.indd 1
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ble online – Kids Alive! is availa
rg.uk
go to salvationarmy.o
KA! JAM MAGI MAZE: B.
and Advent as Christm
PICK OUT PATCH: Page 4.
Pick Out Patch
...
GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE
this week
TRICKY TREE A. As. Sap. Spar. Scrap. Caspar.
50p
Turn this page upside down to read the answers.
MOVIE MYSTERIES A The Polar Express. B The Snowman. C Home Alone.
live! of Kids A Celebrating the 140th Anniversar y
.uk/kidsa salvationarmy.org
KA! JAM lous 6 Marvel s Memory Verse 7 Kiddo in the Middle 8–9 Giggle rous Spy The Most Dange 10 ition Compet ner Colouring Cor 11 ns, 12–13 Traditio ts Crafts and Gif pace 14–15 Your S Patch’s Pals: 16 an Naughty Norm
4–5
children!
BIG MYSTERY: Toad.
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7288
CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Auld. 3 Open. 7 Apple. 8 Ass. 9 Playpen. 13 Log. 14 Anvil. 16 City. 17 Away.
Kids Alive! – formerly
– Issue No The Young Soldier
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of Kids ading this issue you’ve enjoyed re home pe ur ho I yo s! to er ad ed re er Hey there, n copy deliv ow ur yo t ge ask your to d e an lik ristmas list Alive! If you would Alive! to your Ch ds Ki week, d y ad er t Ev no y u? iption* for yo cr every week, wh bs su a t ou ke , puzzles, jokes, ans to ta parents or guardi ory, a competition st e bl Bi on rto ca es a you to enjoy. Kids Alive! includ s and articles for itie tiv ac l ca pi to /kids-alive, call comic strips and to sps-shop.com go to s an di ar or gu tions@satcol.org Ask your parents or email subscrip 1) n tio op 1, ion pt 01933 445445 (o cription. to set up a subs
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alive y.org.uk/kids salvationarm
EDITOR Justin Reeves DEPUTY EDITOR Cara Mott GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Martin EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Alicia Begley EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Melita Day-Lewis KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku PROOFREADER Chris Horne Kids Alive! office: 020 7367 4910 Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 101 Newington Causeway. London SE1 6BN. Switchboard: 0845 634 0101 Published by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory (cost in the Republic of Ireland: 65c). Founder: William Booth General: Brian Peddle Territorial Commander: Commissioner Anthony Cotterill Editor-in-Chief and Publishing Secretary: Major Mal Davies 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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d is g and super-strong, an uperworm is super-lon when him But who can save always saving the day. e th evil self and is captured by he gets too full of him m–a n find out in Superwor Wizard Lizard? You ca on na based on Julia Do lds new animated short film lightful book. and Axel Scheffler’s de since perworm’s best friend Butterfly has been Su e other er they love helping th th ge To . all sm re we they m a major save the baby toad fro garden animals: they a beetle. red bees; and rescue road; they entertain bo ’s a long, erfully unlikely hero. He nd wo a is m or rw pe Su art who ing skills and a big he strong worm with amaz s to gin be y. But Superworm keeps on saving the da e or boots and starts to ign get a bit too big for his his buddy. orm’s Lizard hears of Superw When the evil Wizard him. p na rvant, Crow, to kid powers he sends his se orm rw that he could use Supe Wizard Lizard realises So add to his collection. to find buried jewels to d un ro to burrow underg he forces Superworm looking for treasure! ring plan with the Butterfly hatches a da to defeat the other garden creatures rworm. But will wizard and save Supe the sinister spell they be able to break that’s controlling him? You can watch ‘Superworm’ on BBC One at 2.30pm on Christmas Day or catch it afterwards on BBC iPlayer
S
Pictures: BBC/Magic Light Pictures
Who do you go to when you need help? Superworm? (Just joking!) Your parents or carers? An older brother or sister? An uncle or auntie? When God realised that his people needed some help, he came up with a plan. No, he didn’t send Superworm, but he did send a baby. Now I’m thinking about it, sending a baby to help the whole world sounds about as bonkers as sending a worm. But this is God we’re talking about and he rarely does anything the way we’d expect. Sending Jesus to Earth to show us the way to live and take the punishment for the wrong things we do was the perfect plan. It’s because of this plan that we can ask Jesus for help whenever we need it. Like father, like son, Jesus might not help in the way we’d expect, but he’ll always be there for us.
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READ THE COMMENT BELOW ABOUT THE LASTING HAPPINESS THAT JESUS BRINGS
Lasting Happiness
W
hat brings you joy? A win for your football team? Dancing to your favourite tunes? A massive ice cream sundae? Sunny days on the beach? Maybe a white Christmas would bring you joy. I was once asked to talk about joy at church. Now, I don’t know what your idea of joy is, but when I was preparing for my talk I discovered that joy is quite tricky to understand. I suspect that most people think joy is some kind of super happiness – like you have regular happiness, but when you feel really, really, really happy, that’s joy. As far as I can work out, real joy is a kind of happiness that lasts no matter what else is going
says Justin Reeves on in your life. The happiness I feel when my football team wins, when I enjoy a good dance or tuck into a massive ice cream only lasts for a little while. Real joy sticks around and keeps me going even when life’s a bit pants. There’s quite a bit of happiness in the Nativity story, but it’s not a short-lived happiness. The happiness of Jesus’ birth has lasted for thousands of years. It’s a happiness that people all over the world have put their faith, hope and trust in over and over again – even when the world’s felt like a rubbish place. I hope you enjoy a very happy Christmas, but more than that I hope you know the joy of having Jesus in your life for ever.
Magi Maze
Magi is a word often used to refer to the wise men. Help these Magi find their way through the maze to Bethlehem.
C
A
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B
Answer on Page 2
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Advent and Christmas
Wise Men Visit Jesus
Kids Alive! follows the Salvation Army Youth and Children’s Ministries Unit’s Explore It! resource – go to salvationarmy.org.uk/youth-and-children/childrens-resources
10/12/2021 14:31
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CHECK OUT YOUR BIBLE – LUKE 2:15-20 and MATTHEW 2:1–2, 9–11
5
Steve English
What’s your favourite Bible verse and do you know it off by heart? If so, do you often repeat it to yourself? Reciting Scripture we’ve memorised is a great way of expressing how we feel – all our joy, hopes and concerns. It’s also a great reminder of God’s promises and enormous love for us. That’s why in Deuteronomy 18:11, we’re encouraged to place God’s word in our ‘hearts and minds’. So have a go at learning the Bible verse below… On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 (New International Version)
Tick this box when you’ve memorised the verse This Bible verse makes me feel…
KA! JAM is the cooles t Bible activity club around. As a mem ber you’ll go on amazing adventures through the Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sheet is filled with lo ts of great stuff about being a Christia n. You’ll also receive our mini-mag , Chatterbox, which is filled with jo kes, games and much more. And to to p it off, there are loads of awesome pr izes to be won! To join KA! JAM and complete the Bible activity courses online, go to salvationarmy.org.u k/ka-jam-sign-up. Or if you would like to receive the postal vers ion, simply fill in the coup on below. To join KA! JAM just fill in the application form and send it – along with KA! JAM, 101 Newington two first-class stamps Causeway, London SE – to: 1 6BN. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 ye Name: ars old to join. Date of birth: Address:
Boy or girl: I, (signature)
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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 Salvat ion Army and that it is not free subscription to Kid a s Alive!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.
10/12/2021 13:58
irthday Happy Bir to You!
Pick Out Patch
ure issue birthday printed in a fut d an me na ur yo e se To of birth me, address and date of KA! email your full na y.org.uk. Remember to type arm to kidsalive@salvation ct box. u!’ in the email’s subje Yo to ay thd Bir py ‘Hap
r 18 Decembe age 1 2 Levi Clipa – h – age 11 Eve Danqua
19 December Evie Tingle – age 11
21 December Rosie Green – age 11
22 December Christine Parry – age 12
the Patch’s pals christmas party is happening this week! do you like my costume? See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.
23 December Daniel Cook – age 11
An Historical Christmas Did You Know?
As we make our way through the season of Advent and look forward to Christmas we thought we’d share a few Christmas-related facts that you might not know.
For many people, TV plays a big part in their Christmas Day celebrations – we’re sure lots of you will watch Superworm on Christmas Day. For some, Christmas just isn’t complete without watching the Queen’s Christmas Message at 3pm. British monarchs have read a speech on Christmas Day for decades, but it’s not always been broadcast on TV. The first Christmas Day Message by a British monarch was broadcast on radio. In 1932 King George V was persuaded to deliver a speech on the newly-launched BBC Empire Service. Queen Elizabeth II’s first Christmas Day Message was broadcast live on radio in 1952. Just five years later she read her first live televised speech on BBC TV. Since 1960 the Christmas Day Message has been pre-recorded, which means it can be sent all over the world and played at a time that suits each Commonwealth country. Each year the first country to screen the Queen’s speech is New Zealand at around 6pm – that’s 5am UK time! (Her Majesty must be glad she doesn’t have to read it live!)
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TRICKY TREE the letters from each row Starting at the top, use the row below until you to make a new word in rd tree with a six-letter wo arrive at the base of the n. me se wi of the three that is the name of one
Movie Mysteries
S
P R
Use the picture clues to work out the film titles of these popular Christmas movies
A
C A
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ ker
il Loc
by Ne
What do you call greedy elves? Elfish!
Knock, knock! Who’s there? Doughnut! Doughnut who? Doughnut open this present until Christmas!
What did the stamp say to the Christmas card? ‘Stick with me and we’ll go places!’
How do you know when Santa’s around? You can always sense his presents!
CERD
Why was the little boy so cold on Christmas morning? Because it was Decembrrrr!
8
What is every parent’s favourite Christmas carol? ‘Silent Night!’
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
B
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
C
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
tem tery i s y m s ify the ifying glas t n e d I magn in the
Answer
s
on Page 2
across: 1 New Year’s Eve song, ‘_ _ _ _ Lang Syne’. 3 ‘Chestnuts roasting on an _ _ _ _ fire’. 7 Granny Smith, for example. 8 Animal seen in the Nativity scene. 9 Small safe enclosure for toddlers. 13 Christmas fuel, Yule _ _ _. 14 Blacksmith’s block. 16 Carol, ‘Once in Royal David’s _ _ _ _’. 17 Christmas carol, ‘_ _ _ _ in a Manger’.
down:
by Neil Locker
1 ‘We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse _ _ _ _’. 2 Edge of mouth. 4 ‘_ _ _ _ _ on earth, goodwill to all people’. 5 Bird’s home. 6 ‘We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy _ _ _ _ _ _ _’. 10 Christmas tree decoration, fairy _ _ _ _ _. 11 Boy’s name. 12 Production performed at Christmas, Nativity _ _ _ _. 15 Promise or pledge.
by Neil Locker
SUPERWORM WORDSEARCH
Find the ‘Superworm’-related words in the grid
SUPERWORM BUTTERFLY BEETLE BABY TOAD ANIMALS INSECTS SUPER-LONG SUPER-STRONG SKIPPING ROPE RESCUE KIDNAP DARING PLAN WIZARD LIZARD CROW
S X B Y L F R E T T U B J U K E U C S E R L M N O V P S T C E S N I W C A D G E B E E T L E O H W I Z A R D L I Z A R D E V O R Z W P E T X C A S U P E R L O N G U Y N N A L P G N I R A D Z I K I D N A P F J M B D M S U P E R S T R O N G A L X J B A B Y T O A D L E P O R G N I P P I K S
9
the Most Dangerous Spy competition
T
ligence is op secret! The world of spying and secret intel book new ing thrill a calling! The Most Dangerous Spy is d War. Worl nd that takes readers back to the time of the Seco et agents who It tells the story of German radio signals, the secr sent them and the spies who cracked them! secret mission! Ten-year-old Nancy Brown is recruited to a topto and from She must listen to German messages being sent horpe. secret agents operating in her hometown of Oret of undercover Nancy’s adventures take her deep into the world her face-towork and secret surveillance. Her quest will bring Park, hley Bletc face with danger and lead her all the way to where the German code is finally broken. ur Lane is living However, this book isn’t just about Nancy. Arth up a friendship inthe same town 70 years later when he strikes out what find ur with an elderly man with a secret. Can Arth nd World the secret is and how it’s connected to the Seco he begins War? As he learns more about his new friend, has to hide. he t wha to question who this man really is and s Spy answer For your opportunity to win The Most Dangerou age, address ‘The Most Dangerous Spy’ the question below and email your full name, us h reac to k org.u rmy. tiona salva by Sharon Edwards is published and answer to kidsalive@ – en chos be will ers by Grosvenor House Publishing. by Friday 14 January when the winn ion’ petit Com Spy us gero Dan t It is available as paperback in all Mos ‘The put to remember ils deta the in filling by r ente also major bookstores and on Kindle can in the subject box. You us gero Dan t Mos The to: it ing and audiobook from amazon.com. on the coupon below and post y, sewa Cau n ingto New 101 ! Alive Kids ion, petit Spy Com London SE1 6BN.
WIN
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How old is Nancy Brown? 10 12 14 Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 10/12/2021 14:07
Wonderful Worm Colouring
Address:
Name:
Postcode:
Age:
If you like the look of Superworm that’s featured on the cover and page 3 this week then this is the colouring for you! Grab some pens, pencils or paints or stick some stuff on to make a collage. Then email your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk – make sure you write ‘Wonderful Worm 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! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. One last reminder! If you’re sending by post remember to fill in your details on the left so we know who you are.
Go to salvationarmy.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page KA - p11 - 18 December.indd 1
11 10/12/2021 14:14
le and caring ty es lif ve ti ac an d an y th Living a heal and spiritual well-being. l ta en m , al ic ys ph ur yo r fo
s t if G d n a s t f a r C , s n Traditio Traditions Around the World Even though Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan, they still enjoy a good Christmas dinner – well, Kentucky Fried Chicken! It began in 1974 and now it’s so popular people order it months before or wait in queues for hours on Christmas Day! On Christmas Day in Scandinavian countries such as Finland and Denmark, families eat rice porridge. It’s thought that whoever finds an almond hidden in the porridge will be lucky for the next year! In Poland there are a lot of traditional Christmas foods. The Christmas Eve supper (Wigilia) isn’t eaten until the first star is seen in the sky. At the start of the meal, everyone shares a large wafer biscuit called an opłatek. On the table there are 12 dishes to symbolise Jesus’ 12 disciples. They believe that the dishes will also give good luck. The meal usually doesn’t include any meat, but there is beetroot soup, mushroom dumplings, fried pancakes and carp. Many Brazilian traditions come from Portugal, as the Portuguese ruled Brazil for many years. In Brazil, families come together on Christmas Eve to eat dinner as late as 10pm and everything is served with rice cooked with raisins. Because Christmas in New Zealand is during their summer many of their traditions involve a barbecue where families and friends gather for a casual cookout of fresh seafood, meat and seasonal vegetables. People in some parts of South Africa also have a cookout – they eat steaks and sausages, followed by a special dessert called malva pudding.
A Christmas table in Barbados isn’t complete without a baked ham decorated with pineapple and cherries. There’s also jug jug – a dish that is thought to be inspired by the Scottish haggis – made with pigeon peas, guinea corn flour, herbs and salted meat!
Did you know...
around 1 0 million turkeys a re eaten in the UK ev at Christm ery year astime?
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Festive Food
You will need:
Bowl Whisk 200g unsalted butter, softened 200g golden caster sugar 1 large egg ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 400g plain flour Rolling pin Christmas biscuit cutters Baking tray Icing pens or icing (icing sugar mixed with water and some food colouring), Any other decorations you’d like to use A grown-up to help
5
Transfer the biscuits on to a baking tray and bake for seven to ten minutes until the edges are slightly brown.
Christmas Biscuits 1 2
3 4
Ask a grown-up to heat the oven to 200˚C (180˚C for a fan oven or gas mark 6). Place the butter in a bowl and whisk until creamy.
Beat in the sugar, then the egg and vanilla and finally the flour to make dough.
pes. Roll out the dough and cut into sha ask a You can use Christmas cutters or e shapes. grown-up to help you cut out som
6
Leave to cool for a few minutes then you can decorate however you like!
Christmas Craft Pine Cone Puddings You will need:
Pine cones Cotton wool PVA glue Red beads (or make your own with tissue paper) Green card Scissors Pencil A grown-up to help
4
Stick the leaves and berries (beads or tissue paper balls) on top of the cotton wool with PVA glue.
1
Create a round shape with your cotton wool.
2
3
Spread PVA glue over the top of the pine cone and mould the cotton wool over the pinecone to look like poured cream.
Draw and carefully cut out holly leaves on the green card.
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Kye s h ia Age? 8. Favourite colour? Gold. Favourite food? Chocolate. Favourite sport? Rounders. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! ? Competitions. Favourite Bible story and why? All of them, because they show us how to love God and others. Favourite TV programme? Teen Titans Go! What do you want to be when you’re older? Designer. Pets? None. Hobbies? Singing, making, designing, swimming and dancing. What special skill or talent do you have? Designing and swimming. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I like music.
Kai ma Age? 8. Favourite colour? Blue. Favourite food? Cake. Favourite sport? Tennis. Favourite Bible story and why? The birth of Jesus, because I like to read about the star that led everyone to Jesus. Favourite TV programme? Teen Titans Go! What do you want to be when you’re older? Cupcake maker. Pets? None. Hobbies? Writing. What special skill or talent do you have? Running. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I can write with both hands.
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Cool Drawings Here are some cool drawings that we received from our readers. Keep sending us your creations – we love seeing them!
Darcie, age 6, coloured in this bell and thought we might like to see it – which we did !
Caitlin and Abigail, both age 7, sent in these lovely Nativity colourings.
New
We love hearing from our readers and their leaders, so please email your news, colourings, reader profiles and anything else you’d like to share with us to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. We’d especially like to know whether your church or Sunday school is doing something cool during this difficult time. So get in touch to let us know how you’re staying connected!
Ju
Get In Touch
or ni
Soldiers
Jessica, Dereham; Laurie, Dunstable; Merren, High Wycombe.
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…People automatically think I’ll be on Santa’s ‘Naughty List’.
Because I’m called Naughty Norman…
This year I’m hoping to be on his ‘Nice List’.
That’s very optimistic of you, Norman.
And what sort of presents is Nice Norman hoping for?
Stink bombs, a pellet gun, a whoopee cushion, a plastic spider, a squirting flower and fake blood!
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Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2021. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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Please Recycle Me! 10/12/2021 14:08