Kids Alive! Spring Special 2023

What’s Inside?

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 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!

Hello Spring! Spring! Hello

It’s nally here – hello spring! Some people believe spring starts on 1 March but others think it’s around 20 March. That’s because that date is the spring equinox when day and night hours are almost equal. Whenever spring begins, I think we can all agree that it’s lovely. After the cold, dark winter months it’s amazing to see new life popping up everywhere. It’s like nature is waking up again. Whether it’s blossom on trees, birds singing in the morning or daffodils sprouting from the soil – it’s all fab! And let’s not forget the adorable baby animals!

Spring can feel like a good time to make a fresh start too. Lots of people use this season to give their houses a good clean or get more fresh air or exercise. New life and fresh starts are also the focus of the Easter story, which you can read on pages seven to ten in this issue. Jesus coming back to life on Easter Sunday gives us all the opportunity to start a new life with him. It’s like being born again, because we have a fresh start. Isn’t that incredible?

We hope all our readers have a hoppy – oops, we mean happy – Easter!

Turn to pages 7–10 to read the Easter Story

Looking out of my offce window, I can see snow falling. It feels like winter’s lasting for ever and it’s making me feel glum.

It’s time for spring to … well, spring! I need sunshine. I need warmth. I need something to look forward to. Well, Easter’s on its way! YAY!

Talking of Easter, when Jesus walked on Earth, God’s people were feeling glum. They’d been waiting for ever for the promised Messiah to make things better. They didn’t really realise it, but they were looking forward to Easter. Check out the Easter Story on pages 7–10!

At Easter, we remember and celebrate some truly miraculous events. Jesus died to take the punishment for all the wrong things people have done. Thankfully, his death wasn’t the end. God brought Jesus back to life, which means we can all make a fresh start through Jesus. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we all have something to look forward to. YAY!

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New Life – Fresh Start It’s a Spring Thing!

Isn’t spring a beautiful time of the year? The sun shines brightly, owers blossom, hibernating animals wake up and lambs and chicks are born. All these thrilling changes make it a great time to set some new goals for the months ahead. And what better goal is there than getting to know Jesus? Simply sign up to KA! JAM below and you’ll begin an amazing adventure, learning about who Jesus is and all the incredible miracles he performed. As you complete each activity sheet, you’ll begin to understand how much God loves you and what it means to be his friend. You’ll also receive Chatterbox – a cool mini-mag sent to you four times a year. It’s packed with fantastic competitions, wonderful contributions from the KA! JAM crew, brilliant Bible stories plus much more! Jesus loves you and wants to be your friend. So don’t delay ... sign up to KA! JAM today!

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:

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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

Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday t to

To see your name and birthday printed in a future issue of KA! email your full name, address and date of birth to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to type ‘Happy Birthday to You!’ in the email’s subject box.

18 March

Ruby Redstone – age 13

Madeline Dowling – age 12

21 March

Hollie Kelly – age 10

Tommy Morgan – age 10

22 March

Jasmine Hundal – age 10

Pick Out Patch

I’m ready to go on a spring scavenger hunt so i can make my spring scrapbook that’s featured on pages 12 and 13. See if you can spot this version of me on ANOTHER PAGE IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE.

The cosmos or universe is so enormous and stupendous it’s mind-boggling! Here are some facts about space that are … well, cosmic!

Venus

You can see Venus easily without a telescope. It’s one of the brightest objects in the night sky but less twinkly than a star. Venus orbits the Sun in the same direction as all the other planets. However, it spins backwards – very slowly! –because it’s upside down! That means the Sun only rises twice a year on Venus. And because it rotates backwards, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

Venus is the hottest planet. Its atmosphere is full of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulphuric acid, which trap heat. In fact, it’s so hot that metals like lead would become puddles of melted liquid! Venus seems to be a very active planet with what look like mountains and volcanoes.

VENUS

Illustration of the surface of Venus

NASA pictures

VENUS

Hoho,haha, he he!

Hoho,

he

Crossword Clues

When do people start using their trampoline?

Springtime!

by Neil Locker

How do you know that bees are happy? Because they hum while they work!

When do monkeys fall from the sky? During Ape-ril showers!

What do rabbits say before they eat? ‘Lettuce pray!’

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

Answers on Page 2

across:

Crossword Clues

Ho ho, ho ho!

1 Female deer. 3 Money. 6 Young bird symbolising Easter. 7 Day after Pancake Day: _ _ _ Wednesday. 8 Baby sheep born in the spring. 10 Rip. 12 Unused. 13 Sentry. 15 Coloured part of the eye. 16 Spring month.

Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!

down:

1 Pond bird hatching in the spring.

2 Samuel’s teacher in the Old Testament.

3 Easter treat: simnel _ _ _ _. 4 Shovel.

5 Feast day commemorating the Last Supper: Maundy _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 9 Machine for cutting grass. 11 Chocolate goodies eaten at Easter. 14 Upper limb.

Why did the bunnies go on strike?

He he, he he!

Because they wanted better celery!

Spot the Difference

Ho ho, ha ha, he he!

BY STEVE ENGLISH

by Neil Locker

S p r i n g S c r a p b o o k

Spring is a spectacular season. To celebrate the beginning of spring we’re making a spring scrapbook highlighting some of the things we love most about this season. If you’d like to join us grab yourself a notebook or sketch pad. You could also make a book by folding or sticking some paper together.

We’re Going On a Spring Hunt

There’s no better way to spot the signs of spring than a nature scavenger hunt! Here are some common spring sights –how many can you tick off the list?

Frogspawn Duckling

New green leaves

Bird’s nest Daffodil

Flutter Flutter

Did you know that butter ies need the sun to be shining to y? That’s why you’ll start seeing them more now spring is here. Use this colour-by-numbers to reveal what colours these beautiful butter ies are.

Get Growing

It’s a great feeling when you manage to grow something from a seed. Cress seeds are a really easy thing to grow. All you need is a packet of cress seeds, some cotton wool and a cleaned out yoghurt pot or egg shell. Wet some cotton wool and place it at the bottom of your pot or shell. Add a pinch of cress seeds and be patient!

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Take a photo each day as your cress seeds grow and then stick them in your scrapbook to show the journey.

Beautiful Blossom

Have you noticed any white or pink owers on trees recently? That’s blossom. Use the tree image below to create a blossom tree using your nger and some pink paint!

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

Stories of Spring

Do you like creative writing? Put those skills to the test by writing something about spring. You could make up a story set in spring or have a go at writing a spring poem.

Creepy Crawly Crackers

There will be plenty of little creatures popping out to say hello in spring. Some insects will have been hibernating, waiting for warmer days to come. To celebrate their return, try making some tasty creepy crawly snacks … not using real creepy crawlies obviously! Grab some crackers and a selection of fruit and vegetables, such as carrots, grapes, raspberries, cucumber, strawberries or peppers. You’ll also need peanut butter or cream cheese, a knife and a grown-up to help you with any chopping. Here are some designs you can copy. Make sure you take photos or draw pictures to put in your scrapbook and rate how delicious each one was!

Flower Power

owers are one of the best things about spring. Whether it’s tulips, daffodils, crocuses or even daisies – they’re all great! Have you ever tried using owers to create art? Some people like to press owers. To do this you need some owers. Ask your parents or carers if you can pick some owers from your garden or window box, or buy some from a supermarket. If you’re picking owers, make sure you don’t damage any others and don’t pick too many. Place a piece of newspaper between the pages of a heavy book, then owers on the newspaper. Close the book carefully and place heavy books on top as weights. Store the pile in a warm, dry place. Check on them every day and once they’re fully dry you can use them to create some cool art.

Cute and Fluffy

Your scrapbook wouldn’t be complete without some baby animals! Use the templates below to make white cotton wool lambs or yellow tissue paper chicks. Cut out your babies and stick them in your scrapbook.

Got some more pages left in your scrapbook? Keep going then! Let us know what other ideas you come up with by emailing kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk

HAPPY EASTER COLOURING

Are you eggs-cited for Easter? It’s a wonderful time of year and it’s only a few weeks away now –hooray! There are plenty of things that make Easter special in the colouring below, but they need brightening up. Add a splash of colour to the design below and if you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colourings to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Happy Easter 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 your details below so we know who you are. We send a gift to everyone whose colouring we publish, so don’t miss out!

Name:

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COMPETITION WIN!

Apopular toy that was rst released in 1967 is back! Inspired by the classic Lite-Brite toy, the Lite-Brite Mini-X Connect is a fun, unique and artistic experience you can enjoy in the dark! This new mini version is perfect for playing with at home or on the go. Using mini pegs and battery-powered LED lights it’s possible to create all sorts of cool and colourful designs. Use your imagination to create your own designs or use one of the eight templates included to make some awesome art. This Lite-Brite set comes with more than 200 colourful mini pegs. Insert the pegs into the screen then light it up for a fun, beautiful display of your masterpiece. What’s more, attach multiple Lite-Brite Mini-X Connects together to create even larger masterpieces! So go ahead and create beautiful light art and watch it shine!

For your opportunity to win a Lite-Brite Mini-X Connect, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Lite-Brite Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 14 April when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Lite-Brite Competition, Kids Alive! 101 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BN.

When was Lite-Brite first released?

1953 1967 1976

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