Kids Alive! 28 January 2023

National Storytelling Week takes place every year and it’s a celebration of the power of sharing stories. Stories are incredible, because they can teach us about the world and allow us to step into someone else’s shoes to learn about their lives. They also help us to relax and escape and improve our literacy skills.

This year National Storytelling Week will take place between 30 January and 5 February and there are loads of ways to explore storytelling. Resources available for schools include a live storytelling event with professional storyteller and author, Jane Shearer. There’s also information on how to host a storytelling event where students can explore, retell and perform traditional folk or fairy tales. There are also ways you get to enjoy National Storytelling Week as a family, such as making a storytelling scrapbook. You can include drawings and photos or write about the special people in your life. Sharing stories, memories and experiences with other people in your family can help you to learn more about each other. For more

Where would we be without stories? I reckon things would be pretty dull. In a world with no stories there would be would be any songs or pictures – you see, most of them are just family usually include stories of some sort.

I wonder how much we would know about Jesus without stories. At some point people such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John decided it would be a good idea to write down stories about Reading about Jesus has helped me to work out the kind of me because of it. During National Storytelling Week, make

Is This Your Moment?

Have you ever helped to organise a big event? At the moment, my wife and I are arranging birthday celebrations for one of our daughters. There’s so much to organise: a party with her school friends; a cake; other food; games; party bags; a family get-together; a fun birthday day out! Oh prezzies! We mustn’t forget prezzies!

In this week’s Bible cartoon we witness a BIG event – the baptism of Jesus. This had been years in the making and loads of people were involved in preparing for it. Over the past few weeks, Kids Alive! has been looking back at some events in Jesus’ early life: the visit of the wise men; Herod’s reaction to Jesus’ birth; Jesus’ family’s escape to Egypt; Jesus’ visit to Jerusalem and his parents ‘losing’ him. All of those things were signposts pointing to who Jesus

asks Justin Reeves

is – they were all a part of the journey towards this moment.

This week, we’re reminded that John the Baptist had been working hard to get people ready for Jesus, and the things he would say and show them. This is the moment when lots of people would have started to take notice of Jesus. It was the start of his mission on Earth – to show people the way God wants them to live and bring them closer to him.

Muddled Message

Some words have floated down the River Jordan and drifted into the wrong order. Put them in the right order to reveal this month’s Explore It! memory verse. Check out 1 John 4:15 (‘International Children’s Bible’) for some help.

JESUS Answer on Page 2

says I believe that Jesus is the Son of

lives in him

he lives in God

Name:

My Identity in Jesus My Identity in Jesus Jesus

Did you know that when you become friends with Jesus he gives you a new identity? You’re a member of God’s Kingdom and with the help of the Holy Spirit, you now have the power to follow Jesus’ way of living.

I Am… FREE

B

efore we become friends with Jesus, our instinct is to do what we want when we want. And that doesn’t always end well.

However, when we choose to follow Jesus, something inside us changes as described in John 8:34–36. Jesus’ friendship gives us the freedom and power to make the right choices in life. This means we don’t have to focus on negative stuff such as our mistakes or the things we nd dif cult. Instead, we can trust that God loves us and because he’s given us his Holy Spirit, we now have the power to live our lives the best way possible. We are free to love Jesus and to love others too.

Every day this week, tell yourself ‘I am free’. This will help God’s truth stay in your heart. Use the chart below to help remind you and tick each day once you’re done.

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

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.

Spectacular Supernovas

A supernova is the super-powerful explosion of a star. A star is held together by two opposite forces. Gravity tries to squeeze the star into the smallest, tightest ball possible. However, the nuclear fuel burning in the star’s core creates a strong outward pressure. This outward push and inward squeeze create a balance.

When a massive star runs out of fuel, it cools. This causes the outward pressure to drop. Gravity wins! The star quickly collapses and the shock waves cause a mega explosion. These spectacular events can be so bright they can be seen across the universe!

NASA picture supernova

NASA picture

What reads and lives in apples? Bookworms!

What type of books do owls like to read? Hooo-dunnits!

Which author do robots like best?

Anne Droid!

Which fairy tale character has the fanciest door?

Goldi-locks!

He he, he he!

by Neil Locker

Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!

Why did the bird fly into the library? Because it was looking for bookworms!

Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!

Why are first books afraid of the sequels? Because they always come after them!

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

He he, he he!

Where do library books like to sleep? Under their covers!

Ho ho, ho ho!

How did Jack know how many beans his cow was worth? He used a cow-culator!

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

Ho ho, ho ho! He he, he he!

What do you call a fairy that doesn’t like baths? Stinkerbell!

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

Who writes books for little bees? Bee-trix Potter!

What does Buzz Lightyear like to read? Comet books!

s q j s e l a t k l o f s c a x d k p o e m s r e l r u b n d y p e g o l s z a d u e t i q n l a t g j p i m g a c i e t e v n r b o s e h t p y p i k i l o b n l i l r p m q o w b o o c r a i u d h e g a h k o w y a p t k m p q r l i k j f n s e l b a f d r n s a t y u s p e a k i n g

There’s a new game that takes the dgety trend to a whole new level. It’s time to put your ngers to work with the palm-sized dget toy, TapTap Smart Fidget. It’s perfect for kids who want to combine their love of games and dget toys. The TapTap Smart Fidget comes in four colour options and with ve different games installed. They speci cally target memory, focus, hand-eye co-ordination, critical thinking and With the game Match It!, players pixels by tapping them, as they aim to matching pairs. The object of Sequence, Stop and Go is to repeat the sequence displayed on the outer corners. The other games included are Raindrops, Eat Greens and Copy That. For your opportunity to win a TapTap Smart Fidget, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘TapTap Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 24 February when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: TapTap Competition, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.

T e l l U s a S t o r y

To celebrate National Storytelling Week, we thought you might like to share a story you’ve written with us. Sometimes the hardest thing about writing a story is the opening. So here are a couple of ideas to kick start your tale – ‘I opened my eyes after a night of sleep, but something was different…’ and ‘Two best friends walked across the park when they heard a loud, crashing noise…’ Use the space below to continue the story yourself and if you’d like to share your writing with other readers email your stories to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk – make sure you write ‘Tell Us a Story’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your stories to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to ll in your details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose story we publish, so don’t miss out!

Continue on an extra piece of paper if you need more space.

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

Time to Talk Day

If you’ve read page 3 in this week’s issue you’ll know all about National Storytelling Week and how important it is to share stories. Talking to our friends and family is a great way to learn more about their lives, but it’s also fantastic if you have any problems that are worrying you. This is why we want to tell you that 2 February is Time to Talk Day.

Time to Talk Day happens every year and it’s a day for friends, families, schools and workplaces to get people together to talk and listen.

What Is Mental Well-being?

Mental well-being is how people feel and how they’re coping with things that are happening in their lives. There could be problems that are making people feel stressed, anxious, sad or scared. Talking about any problems we’re facing means we can get support from friends, family, teachers or doctors.

Why Is Talking Important?

Some people nd talking about mental health or well-being dif cult, but it’s very important. If people don’t talk about what’s bothering them, others won’t know how to help. Lots of families nd dinner time a good time to chat about their day, especially if everyone can sit down together around one table. It is a nice time to talk, but sitting at a table isn’t the only way to have a chat. Here are some different ideas to try.

Walk and Talk

Sometimes it’s easier to have a conversation when you’re doing something active. If you have something you want to talk about try going for a walk with your parents, carers or another family member. It might be an easier way to say what you want to.

Another way to talk about your feelings is having a chat while doing something creative. Conversations can be just as useful when they’re had while doing things such as baking, colouring or painting. If you’re not sure how to share your feelings by speaking, you could even try drawing them and showing them to your parents, carers or teachers.

Do you like playing computer games? If you play alongside someone else, that can also be a time to talk. Or how about playing some board games with your family – that would be a great way to spend time together and talk about how everyone is feeling.

Story Time

Do you sit down with your parents or carers and read books?

It’s a lovely way to bond and can also be a great time to talk, especially if you choose certain books. Here are some that might spark a conversation about feelings after you’ve read them.

As well as sharing your own thoughts and feelings, you could also encourage others to talk about their worries. First, make sure your friends know they can talk to you and that you’ll listen.

You can also talk to your teachers about making time to talk at school a priority. Perhaps they could have assemblies or classroom activities to explain the importance of talking about mental health.

Age? 10.

QuinnFavourite colour? Lilac.

Favourite food? Chicken nuggets.

Favourite sport? Badminton.

Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Activities.

Favourite Bible story and why? Making wise choices like Solomon, because I make good choices.

Favourite TV programme?

I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!

What do you want to be when you’re older? Baker or chef.

Pets? None.

Hobbies? Colouring and drawing. Tell us a joke. You know the guy that invented the knock, knock joke? He won the no-bell prize!

What special skill or talent do you have? I am very flexible and I can play the guitar.

Tell us something interesting about yourself. I am afraid of spiders and I can also spell big words like arachnophobia.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I love getting my things published in Kids Alive! It spreads joy to me, my family and neighbours.

Cool Colou ri ngs

Alessia, age 8, sent us this cool colouring celebrating International Day of Friendship. She’s done a fantastic job of colouring in all the children from around the world.

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.

Email: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk

Post: Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN

This brilliant Street Dancer Colouring was done by Mal, age 5. We love your choice of colours and hope you enjoyed colouring it in.

This Aeroplane Colouring was sent by Jessica, age 13. It’s so neat, especially all the little owers. Great work, Jessica!

Maisie, age 7, sent this awesome drawing for our Design Your Own Superhero feature. We love it and Superwoman looks super happy too!

Maidstone’s Waterside Nativity

The WOW (Walk on Water) group from Maidstone Salvation Army have been meeting since May. They get together by the lake in Mote Park and use paddleboards, kayaks, dragon pedalos and swan boats. Before Christmas the Watersports Centre asked for a carol service to be held there and it was decided that this service would include a Nativity play on the lake! It included shepherds on paddleboards, kings in kayaks and angels in swan boats!

Unfortunately, on the day, the lake was frozen over so the service took place beside the lake instead. Despite the cold, members of the Watersports Centre, their friends and family enjoyed the carols accompanied by Maidstone Salvation Army Band. They also enjoyed seeing the Nativity formed around the crib that had been launched on to the frozen water.