Happy New Year, everyone! There’s something wonderful about starting a new year. For many people, it’s the perfect time to make a fresh start carrying out resolutions that have been neglected. Others are thinking about all the exciting new things that lie ahead – new adventures, experiences, friends and challenges!
Either way, the best thing we can do to make 2023 a great year is to be thankful! Gratitude makes all the difference to how we experience the ups and downs of life. Not everything you decide to do at the beginning of the year you’ll achieve. Sometimes the things you’re looking forward to don’t happen. There are things in our lives or the world that can make us feel sad. However, experts believe that people who decide to be thankful are usually happier and less anxious.
Why don’t you start a gratitude journal this year? Write down three or more things you’re thankful for at the beginning or end of each day or week. This will help you to focus on the good, positive things going on throughout the year. You’ll soon discover that this well-known quote is true: ‘Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful!’ Check out KA! World on pages 12 and 13 for some fab ideas about ways to improve your life this year
At school, I loved getting fresh books to do my work in.
I like to think of a new year as a new book with a load of blank doubt, there will be some tough days and sad news to write in Whatever this year has in store for you, the best way to make the best of 2023 is to make sure you include Jesus in your 2023, readers!
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What’s the longest journey you’ve ever been on?
How did you cope with it? Was the journey worth it? Why?
Eleven years ago, I travelled to Nepal to walk to Everest Base Camp. It took 11 hours to y from London to Kathmandu (the capital of Nepal). Then from Kathmandu I ew for another 30 minutes to Lukla. From Lukla I started my walk to base camp – it took seven days!
It’s de nitely the longest journey I’ve ever made and it was de nitely worth it. As well as seeing some spectacular scenery, I made some good friends. It was hard work, but what kept me going was the promise I’d made to complete the trek in return for my family and friends’ promises to donate money. In case you’re
wondering, I raised around £8,000 for The Salvation Army.
What do you think kept the wise men going on their journey to Bethlehem? I reckon it was the promise of meeting royalty. I don’t know how they knew they would meet a new-born king, but I know they kept going until they had.
Some people compare life to a journey. I wonder what keeps you going when that trek gets tricky –family, friends, the promise of better times? What’s kept me going during the worst moments of my life is Jesus. Knowing he loves me, he’s looking after me and has better things in store for me really reassures me. Trust Jesus – he’s promised to love you and look after you, always.
Happy New Year, everyone! Are you looking forward to the exciting year ahead? Why not make 2023 the best year yet by joining the coolest Christian club – KA! JAM?
When you join KA! JAM, you’ll go on two amazing Bible
how people’s lives were changed by his kindness and love. On the second Bible course, you’ll be able to follow the Action Men on their exciting adventure and learn how these inspiring Christians shared their faith and God’s love.
New starts are good, but with Jesus new beginnings are wonderful! When we become his friend, he helps us to be the best person that we can be. So, readers, make the best possible start to 2023 and join KA! JAM today. As you continue on your journey of faith with Jesus, 2023 will
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.
Name:
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.
Address:
Date of birth:
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.
milky way
Earth is part of our solar system, which is a small part of the Milky Way galaxy. The stars you see in the night sky are stars in this galaxy. A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust and billions of stars – all held together by gravity.
The Hubble Space Telescope
There are many galaxies besides the Milky Way. There are so many, we can’t even count them all! The Hubble Space Telescope looked at a tiny bit of space for 12 days and found 10,000 galaxies! Some scientists think there could be as many as one hundred billion galaxies in the universe.
Why should you put your calendar in the freezer?
To start off the new year in a cool way!
What do snowmen do on New Year’s Eve? Chill out!
Where do maths teachers go to celebrate on New Year’s Eve? Times Square!
Why do birds fly south for New Year’s Eve?
It’s too far to walk!
Starting at row 1, use the letters from the row above to make a new word in each row until you arrive at the base of the pyramid with a six-letter word. Clue: outcome.
He he, he he!
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
by Neil Locker
The pictures below are of items that are usually found at a New Year’s celebration. Work out what each item is.
here are so many amazing stories to explore in the Bible. Thanks to this week’s competition prize you can now read about some of them in a new way. Whistlestop Tales are brilliant Bible-based books that can inspire you on your own adventure with God. The rst book in the series, Whistlestop Tales: Around the World in 10 Bible Stories, uses 10 action-packed stories to show how God used people from all over the world in his global adventure. Featuring countries including Iraq, Italy, Sudan and Cyprus, there are plenty of tales to get you thinking.
Whistlestop Tales: Around the Bible with 10 Extraordinary Children takes the adventures with God further. This book introduces readers to children in the Bible of all shapes and sizes who go on incredible adventures with God. It’s time to remember all the characters in the Bible who do amazing world-changing things – especially those who dare to be different!
For your opportunity to win both Whistlestop Tales books listed above, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Whistlestop Tales Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 3 February when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Whistlestop Tales Competition, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.
Even though we’re a number of days into 2023 already, it’s not too late to celebrate the New Year. We hope you have lots of fun and exciting things to look forward to this year. Why don’t you think about the year ahead and all the good things that could ll it while you colour the design below? If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Happy New Year Colouring’ in the subject box and give us your full name, age and address. Alternatively you can post your colourings to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN. One last reminder, if you’re sending by post remember to ll in the details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose colouring we publish, so don’t miss out!
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Are you excited for 2023? The beginning of a new year can be so exciting because there are 365 days, 52 weeks or 12 months full of adventures to come. It’s also a popular time to make resolutions. Resolutions are basically hopes people have or promises they make in an effort to improve their lives. If you’re not sure what things you want to change this year, here are some of our suggestions.
Lots of people decide to make healthy living choices when a new year comes around. This can sometimes be because they’ve had a few too many treats over the festive season!
It’s always a good idea to try to eat plenty of healthy food, such as fruits and vegetables. And if you combine that with drinking plenty of water and exercising, 2023 will be off to a super start.
There are lots of charities in the UK (such as The Salvation Army) who need people to raise money for them. This helps them help people who really need it. So why not make 2023 a fab fundraising year? You could do some small events, such as bake sales or big sponsorship events such as running or cycling events. Whatever you do to raise money for charity in 2023, it will make a difference to others’ lives.
Or how about making 2023 the year you make a difference for your local community? You could take part in monthly litter picks to clean up your local park or donate something to your local food bank every week in 2023.
Let’s think big! What can you do to change the whole world? Well, if we all make a resolution to be more environmentally friendly it would make a massive difference to our planet. Giving up meat is often seen as a great way to help the environment. Even if you don’t become vegetarian,
maybe your family could do meat-free Mondays every week this year.
Or how about trying to reduce your family’s plastic waste this year? Take reusable water bottles when you go out, say no to plastic cutlery and straws and use recyclable foil instead of cling lm.
How often do you read your Bible or pray? There’s no better time to make a commitment to strengthen your relationship with Jesus. You could make a resolution to pray every night, or once a week, whatever feels comfortable for you. Or how about reading a chapter of the Bible every week for a whole year? See how much you can discover in that time!
Reading books is a great way to learn about people, places or cultures that are different to ours. So we think deciding to read books with characters that look different to you or live in different countries is a fantastic resolution. If you’re not sure where to start, ask your parents or carers to look online for suggestions or visit your local library to speak to a librarian.
Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn to do? Maybe you want to know how to juggle, always fancied learning to surf or have an ambition to write a book. Whatever it is, go for it this year! Make it your 2023 resolution to learn or do something new.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be a new year to make a change. Any time is good if you want to make a positive change in your life. And if you don’t manage to keep your resolution it’s OK. Just start again!
Age? 6.
Favourite colour? Gold.
Favourite food? Fish and chips.
Favourite sport? Football.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Jokes.
Favourite Bible story and why? The Christmas story, because I like Christmas.
Favourite TV programme? Sonic the Hedgehog. What do you want to be when you’re older? I want to own a fish and chip shop when I’m older. Pets? None.
Hobbies? I enjoy dancing and Roblox. Tell us a joke. Why did the pig cross the road? I’m not telling you!
What special skill or talent do you have? I can do flips. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I grew a tooth in the first week of my life.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I was only three pounds and fourteen ounces when I was born.
Molly, age 11, organised a Festive Fun Afternoon at the Salvation Army church she attends. There was music from the young people’s band and choir, a Christmas quiz and a bake sale. Molly has raised nearly £600 for the Corps Community Sponsorship Scheme as part of a school project. Great work, Molly!
During the afternoon, there was also a new arrangement of the song ‘Jesus Loves Me’, which was written by 10-year-old Jacob who is also a member of the young people’s band.
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 fab colouring of footballer Jack Leslie was sent to us by Amelia, age 8, to celebrate Black History Month. We love the colours you’ve chosen for the kit, Amelia.
Anna, age 5, sent us this pukka Pinocchio Colouring. It looks amazing – we especially love the glitter pens you’ve used to add extra sparkle.
All the kites in this Fly With Me Colouring look beautiful. The design was sent to us by Robyn, age 8. Imagine how incredible they’d look ying high in the sky!
Did you watch Hamza on Strictly Come Dancing last month? We wonder if Michael, age 8, was watching when he was colouring in this awesome Black History Month Colouring. Great work, Michael!
This super Street Dancer Colouring was sent to us by Jessica, age 13. Well done for adding some texture to the background.
