Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7394
20 January 2024
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
tyle and caring and an active lifes Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. l, for your physica
this week...
Big Garden Birdwatch
this week...
Disney+ images
Jesus Is Friends With Everyone
ow
out on Disney+ n
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 20 January.indd 1
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What’s Inside?
Turn this page upside down to read the answers
A Real Bug’s Life and Ed’s Bit
3 4–5
KA! JAM
6
Bible Brainteasers
7
Kiddo
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
10
Simba Toys Disney Wish Competition
11
Colouring Corner
12–13
KA! World
14–15
Your Space
16
Patch’s Pals Olive Forruthers
THERE’S SOMEBODY AT THE DOOR!: James Henry Trotter from James and the Giant Peach. BIG MYSTERY: Butterfly. SAME AGAIN: 1 Tide. 2 Idea. 3 Dear. 4 Earl. DOWN: 1 Down. 2 Sea. 4 Alive. 5 Yolk. 6 Welcome. 10 Hotel. 11 Crab. 12 Lead. 15 Use. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Dusk. 3 Baby. 7 Whale. 8 Ill. 9 Chicken. 13 Rot. 14 Mouse. 16 Bell. 17 Head. BIBLE BRAINTEASERS: 1C. 2A. 3A. 4B. 5C. PICK OUT PATCH: Page 11. KA! JAM FAMOUS FRIENDSHIPS 1 Matilda and Lavender. 2 Harry and Ron. 3 Bluey and Bingo. 4 SpongeBob and Patrick. 5 Woody and Buzz. 6 Marlin and Dory. 7 Mario and Luigi.
Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Sunday at 9–9.30am
Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your Sunday started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles
e Availabl online!
Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7394
20 January 2024
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
this week...
and caring and an active lifestyle Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. for your physical,
Big Garden Birdwatch
this week...
Jesus Is Friends With Everyone
Disney+ images
Puzzle Answers
out on Disney+ now Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
WIN!
Subscribe* to
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 GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Martin KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku 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 William and Catherine Booth GENERAL Lyndon Buckingham TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
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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Disney+ images
ow
out on Disney+ n
I
f you love all things creepy-crawly then check out Disney+ this week! A Real Bug’s Life is a new Disney+ Original from National Geographic. Inspired by Disney and Pixar’s A Bug’s Life film it’s an awesome adventure into nine different micro bug worlds around the globe. Narrated by Awkwafina, viewers can explore the extraordinary lives of curious creatures as they crawl, creep and climb their way through life. There are scaly ones, squishy ones, fluffy ones and even some freaky ones – freaky in the best possible way of course! From a jumping spider looking for a home on the streets of New York to a Costa Rican orchid bee’s first day on the job making perfume, there are plenty of super stories about tiny heroes. This is epic tales on a miniature scale and it’s all real! Full of new behaviours and larger-than-life characters, this family-friendly programme shows that A Real Bug’s Life can be every bit as fantastic as any animated film.
‘A Real Bug’s Life’ is available on Disney+ now. It’s rated PG (Parental Guidance) on Disney+, which means it’s suggested that parents or carers make sure it’s suitable for their children.
I haven’t always liked insects, but recently I’ve been really impressed with some of the incredible things they can do. For example, did you know a dung beetle can drag something that’s 1,141 times its own weight? That’s like a human pulling six double-decker buses! And bulldog ants can leap seven times the length of their bodies! It’s amazing to think that these tiny creatures can be so powerful. This makes me think about one of my favourite Bible stories. In John 6:1–14 a boy gives up five loaves and two fish and Jesus uses them to feed 5,000 people! He was just a small boy, with not much to give, but Jesus used him and his gift to do incredible things. You might not be pulling six double-decker buses anytime soon, but you’re never too small to do something amazing. With Jesus’ help you can do incredible things!
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Read the comment below about everybody being different
We’re All Different and That’s OK! says Kat Whitmore
W
ho are your friends? Why not say their names out loud right now or write a list? Now think about your friends a bit more. What is the same about you? Maybe you have the same hobby, live in the same area or like listening to the same music. What is different about you? Maybe you have different talents, your skin is a different colour or you enjoy different lessons in school. One of the great things about being made by God is that we are all unique; there is no one else in the world who is exactly the same as you or me! Sometimes in the past, humans have got things a bit wrong and believed that we should only be friends with people who are similar to us. But God says that in his family, everyone is welcome,
everyone is equally important and everyone can be friends. What we’ll read in the Bible story today is that even though some people didn’t like it, Jesus makes friends with everyone, including people who were different from him. I love how Jesus is brave enough to do what he knows is right, even when everyone else seems to disagree! Are there people you know who need a friend? What makes it hard – or what would make it easier – for you to be a friend to them? Let’s pray that we might all be a bit more like Jesus; brave enough to do what is right, and loving enough to be a friend to everyone.
Famous Friendships Match the names in the left column to their famous friends in the right column
Matilda Harry Bluey SpongeBob Woody Marlin Mario
Buzz Dory Luigi Ron Patrick Lavender Bingo
Answers on Page 2
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Inclusion in the Kingdom of God Jesus Is Friends With Everyone
Check out your Bible – John 4:5–11, 13–15, 25–26, 39–42 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 BRAINTEASERS ? ?
1 In the Creation story, on what day did God create the animals that live on land? A Second day CLUE B Fourth day Genesis 1:25 and 31 C Sixth day many books in the Bible 3 How begin with the letter H?
? ?
A 4 B 5 C 6
2 Which religious leader secretly
?
visited Jesus at night to learn from him? A Nicodemus CLUE B Nicholas John 3:1–2 C Nathaniel
?
4 Which item is part of the
armour of God? A Shoes of speed CLUE B Helmet of salvation C Sword of strength Ephesians 6:17
?
?
5 Fill in the Bible verse: ‘But Jesus said, “Let the little _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ come to me.”’ CLUE
A Chickens
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B Cardinals
C Children
Matthew 19:14
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?
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Would you consider yourself to be a Bible buff? Do you know how many fish and loaves Jesus used to feed 5,000 people? Which teenager defeated a giant and who was swallowed by a huge fish? From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is full of incredible stories and interesting information. Test your Bible knowledge by having a go at the questions below.
ANSWERS ON PAGE 2
KA! JAM is the coolest Bible activity club around. As a member you’ll go on amazing adventures through th e Bible learning about Jesus. Each activity sh eet is filled with lots of great stuff about be ing a Christian. You’ll also receive our mini-m ag, Chatterbox, which is filled with jokes , games and much more. And to top it off, there are loads of awesome prize s 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 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, 1 Champion two first-class stamps Park, London SE5 8FJ. – to: Applicants must be be tween 7 and 17 years old Name: to join. Date of birth: Address:
Boy or girl: I, (signature)
6 KA - p6 - 20 January.indd 1
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.
12/01/2024 11:05
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
20 Januar y – age 13 Alisha Stead – age 1 2 Emma Bud z – age 11 Loki Ja sper
24 Januar y 12 Billy Durdey – age
22 Januar y
Finlay Casserley – age 13 Lilly Catlin-Holmes – age 12 25 Januar y
Moyin Fawehinmi – age 11
i’M TAKING PART IN THE bIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH AGAIN THIS YEAR. cHECK OUT PAGES 12 AND 13 TO SEE HOW YOU CAN TAKE PART TOO! See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.
Madison Hill – age 11
Optical illusions use colour, light or patterns to confuse our brains – that means the illusions look different to what is actually there.
Do you think line A matches up with line B or line C? Do you thin k it’s B? It’s actually C – use a rule r to prove it! Our brains aren’t always great at working out angles. When our brains try to fill in the missing part of the line, they often bend line A upwards and line C downward s, so they don’t look like they match .
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Why did the bird get a ticket? It broke the law of gravity!
What do you call a sad bird? A blue bird!
Crossword Clues
by Neil Locker
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
He he, he he!
SAME AGAIN Insert the 12 letters given below into the grid so that the same four words read both across and down
AAAD DDEE IIRR T E h a, Ha h a, ha a! h ha
across:
Crossword Clues
1 Period following sunset but before night. 3 Very young child. 7 Large marine mammal. 8 Unwell. 9 Farm bird. 13 Decay. 14 Small rodent. 16 Device that rings before school lessons. 17 Top part of your body.
E
down:
H
by Neil Locker
1 Soft feathers or a word above this clue. 2 Mediterranean, for example. 4 The name of this magazine: Kids _ _ _ _ _! 5 Yellow part of an egg. 6 Greeting written on a doormat sometimes. 10 Tourist’s accommodation. 11 Marine crustacean. 12 To be in first place or guide others. 15 Employ or utilise.
Answers 8
L
on Page
2
What do you give a Hsick a h a, bird? h a h a ment! Tweet ,
ha ha
!
What do you call a musical insect? A humbug! H o h o,
Why did the fly never land on the computer? It was afraid of the world wide web!
ho ho
!
He he, he he!
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
tem tery i s y m s ify the ifying glas t n e d I magn in the
s x h o n e y b e e z t t r b c t n c p j h i b a d e f r i w s y g r u g i j p C i k a e l t m h o, a p n c r s p n b b hH o m ho! ho e p d q r o b k u p a l e A m t v e h w e x e e t y z o E a b s c t r b l d g t t h i e s f i e e j l k m h o L n a f e p E y l f t i u r f r q r s y l f l E s m a d g
insect WORDSEARCH Find the insects listed below in the grid
tiger beetle wasp stag beetle cricket bumblebee aphid fruit fly honeybee grasshopper moth fire ant cicada damselfly
h o, H othan , What’s worse h a h a !finding he a worm in your h e apple?
Finding half a worm!
h e, H e e! h he
What happens if you eat caterpillars? You get butterflies in your tummy!
‘Doctor, doctor! I keep seeing spinning insects!’ ‘Don’t worry, there’s a bug going around!’
I am a fictional character from a book written by Roald Dahl. When my parents die, I have to live with my mean aunts Spiker and Sponge. After a twist of extraordinary events, a giant peach the size of a house grows in our garden. In the peach I meet Centipede, Miss Spider, Old Green Grasshopper, Earthworm, Glowworm and Silkworm who become my friends. Can you guess who I am?
9
Simba toys DISNEY wish Competition
H
ave you seen the new film Disney Wish? It’s about the magical kingdom of Rosas, where Asha makes a wish so powerful that it’s answered by a cosmic force – a little ball of boundless energy called Star. Together Asha and Star have to confront the ruler of Rosas, King Magnifico, to save her community. Now there’s a beautiful range of 25cm soft toys that help bring Disney Wish to life! There are three characters in the collection – Valentina, Asha and Star. They’re super-soft and cuddly – perfect for wrapping your arms around! For your opportunity to win a Simba Toys Disney Wish soft toy*, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Simba Toys Disney Wish Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 16 February when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Simba Toys Disney Wish Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
*Styles may vary
WIN!
Which of these is a character from Disney Wish ? Star
moon
sun
Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 12/01/2024 10:28
INCREDIBLE INSECTS COLOURING How well do you know your creepy-crawlies? Some are tiny and others are furry. Some are big and can move quite quickly. So, to help you recognise some of the incredible insects in the world around us, here are some for you to colour and learn about.
BEETLES
Beetles are the largest group of insects in the animal kingdom. Some examples include ladybirds, jewel beetles and fireflies. A beetle’s body is made up of three main parts as well as six legs, antennae and two pairs of wings. The top set of wings form a hard case, protecting the wings underneath which are used for flying.
BUTTERFLIES
Butterflies come in all colours, shapes and sizes. Their wings are covered in tiny scales, creating the vibrant patterns that we see and love. They also have a tube-like tongue called a proboscis that they uncurl like a straw to suck up nectar and fruit juices. Butterflies use their antennae to sniff out food and their feet to taste it!
DRAGONFLIES TRUE BUGS
Dragonflies are extremely strong fliers. They have a long body with two sets of translucent wings. Their eyes are so large that they almost touch, making them great for hunting down their prey. Dragonflies come in different colours including red, brown, blue and green.
True bugs are often mistaken for beetles. However, unlike a beetle’s hard top wings, a true bug’s front wings are half hard and half soft. They have a beak-shaped mouthpart to pierce plants and use it to suck up plant sap and nectar. An example of a true bug is a shield bug. It has a flat triangular body and a unique shield-like shape on its back.
Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page KA - p11 - 20 January.indd 1
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lifestyle and caring ve ti ac an d an y th al he Living a tual well-being. iri sp d an l ta en m , al ic ys for your ph
Big Garden Birdwatch Every year, hundreds of thousands of nature lovers take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch to help the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) work out the health of garden birds in the United Kingdom. The UK has so many beautiful birds, from the tiny goldcrest to the huge white-tailed eagle. In fact, there are more than 600 species of bird in the UK, including some pretty impressive ones, such as parakeets and woodpeckers! But how many of these birds pass by your garden, balcony or park? You can get an idea by counting them as part of the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s taking place next weekend (26–28 January), so there’s still plenty of time to get organised and get involved.
1
How to Take Part Ask your parents or carers to download a free guide by signing up at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. You can also stock up on supplies, such as a bird feeder and bird feed. These will help attract birds to your garden.
2
Spend an hour watching birds in your garden (you can also count birds from your balcony or in a local park) between 26 and 28 January. Top tips:
Only record the birds that land in your garden. Ones that fly over don’t count.
Record the highest number of each bird species you see at any one time. Otherwise you might count the same bird twice. For example, if you see a group of eight starlings, but then see six more later, just record eight starlings as your final count.
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3 4
Use the tally boxes in the free guide to record the birds that you spot. You can also use the guide to help you identify what you see.
Ask your parents or carers to submit your sightings online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch by Sunday 18 February. Even if you saw no birds at all, it’s still important to let the RSPB know!
If you’re unable to submit your results online, you can also complete the print-from-home form included in the free guide and post it to the RSPB.
The Red List The UK Red List tracks bird populations and lists those most at risk. Thanks to surveys, such as the Big Garden Birdwatch, experts have been able to work out that since 1979 song thrush sightings have dropped by more than 80 per cent! So it’s really important as many people as possible take part.
In 2021 greenfinches moved on to the Red List for the first time. One of the reasons greenfinch numbers have gone down is because of a disease that stops birds from feeding properly. To help prevent this disease spreading it’s really important to regularly clean your bird tables or feeders.
Top Birds Here are the top five birds seen by people who took part in the Big Garden Birdwatch last year. See if any of them appear in your garden next weekend!
House Sparrow Blue Tit Starling Blackbird
Woodpigeon For more information about Big Garden Birdwatch, visit rspb.org.uk/birdwatch
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Cool Colourings What a beautiful Comfort and Joy Colouring! It was sent by Leah, age 7, and we love how much colour she’s used to create this.
Jessica, age 13, created this bright and bold Racing Cars Colouring. She’s done a fab job colouring it so neatly.
Wow! Check out this Dancing Colouring by William, age 9. We especially love the dancers’ outfits – we’d love to see them twirling around the dance floor!
Elina, age 4, coloured in this Happy New Year Colouring. She’s done a fantastic job, we especially love the clothes she’s coloured in for everyone.
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If you’d like to star in our reader profile section we’d lov e to hear from you! Get a grown-up to send us an email using the address in the green box below. Then we’ll send you the forms to complete.
New Junior Soldier
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Heidi, Sunderland Millfield.
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
Nyas h a Age? 9. Favourite colour? Red. Favourite food? Pizza. Favourite sport? Football. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! ? Giggle in the Middle. Favourite Bible story and why? When Jesus rises from the dead, because it shows how powerful God is. Favourite TV programme? Nailed It! What do you want to be when you’re older? A pro footballer. Pets? None. Hobbies? Football matches on Sunday, practice on Saturday and swimming on Friday. Tell us a joke. Knock, knock! Who’s there? Texas! Texas who? Texas when you get home! What special skill or talent do you have? I can do a front flip. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I beat my dad on EA Sports FC 24, even when he got really hard on me. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? Not really.
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Look at those poor birds, Patch. It’s so cold the water in the birdbath has frozen solid.
Why don’t you break the ice for them, Olive?
A BIT LATER...
I’ve got a better idea.
This’ll thaw it in no time.
Can I just point out one flaw in your plan, Olive?
...You’ve not only thawed the ice but now you've gone and boiled the water!
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Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2024. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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Please Recycle Me! 12/01/2024 11:00