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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.
Mott
DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku
Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth
INTERNATIONAL LEADERS General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham
TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Julian Watchorn
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.
MTiddler
Swimming on to your screens
on Christmas Day!
eet Tiddler – the little grey fsh with a big imagination! Tiddler spends so much time daydreaming that he is often late for school. He always arrives saying, ‘Sorry I’m late’ and with an amazing story to tell. Tiddler rode a seahorse! Tiddler met a mermaid! Tiddler met a turtle, who saved him from a squid! Tiddler’s best friend, Johnny Dory, loves Tiddler’s fun tales. Johnny enjoys drawing pictures of his friend’s ocean adventures and telling them to his granny (who tells them to a plaice!). However, the rest of Tiddler’s class aren’t so impressed with Tiddler’s ‘silly stories’! One morning, while dreaming up his latest tale, Tiddler gets caught in a net! The fshermen throw Tiddler back into the middle of the ocean, but he’s lost, scared and far from home. Then Tiddler hears a story that he knows … a story about him! Now Tiddler must follow his own story to try to fnd his way home.
‘Tiddler’ is the latest Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler adaptation by Magic Light Pictures. You can watch it on BBC One at 2.35pm on Christmas Day. It will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
Watching the new Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffer adaptation every year is always a special Christmas moment for me. I’ve had a sneak preview of Tiddler and it’s another brilliant one! Tiddler is a great character, and I’ve fallen in love with his best pal, Johnny Dory.
What’s most wonderful about Tiddler and Johnny is their friendship. I’m not sure that either of them realises how special they are, and how beautiful their friendship is. The Bible is full of loads of advice about how important our friends should be, and how we should treat them. One of my favourites is, ‘Encourage one another and build each other up’ (1 Thessalonians 5:11 New International Version). A man named Paul wrote this in a letter to a church thousands of years ago, but I think it perfectly sums up how Johnny treats his friend, Tiddler. I hope it’s how you treat all of your pals too!
BBC/Magic Light Pictures
Advent A Season of Joy
Check out your Bible – Luke 2:15-20; Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
Ever since my sister got married, the word ‘joy’ has taken on a new meaning for me. That’s because my sister’s last name is now Joy! Anytime we sing ‘Joy to the World’, a big smile spreads across her face. She loves hearing her last name pop up all over the place. I think it brings her … well, joy!
When you hear the story about Jesus’ birth, does that bring you joy? Does it make you feel even more excited than my sister when she hears her surname in a song? The Nativity might not make you feel that excited. With all the presents, Christmas tunes and festive flms, it can be easy to forget that Christmas is about celebrating Jesus.
Even when Jesus was born, there were plenty of people that didn’t get excited about him. King Herod was so unhappy to hear that Jesus had been born that he wanted him killed! However, there were others, such as the wise men, who realised who Jesus was. They had so much joy that they wanted to worship him.
In fact, when the wise men found Jesus, they were more than just joyful – they were overjoyed! That means that they were so happy that joy was spilling out of them like an over flled bath!
So how will you respond to the Nativity story this year? Will you just ignore it and focus on everything else that’s going on? Or will you be like the wise men? Will you realise that Jesus is more important than anything else? When you think of Jesus, I pray that you’ll feel overjoyed!
says Jacob Adams
The wise men are on a journey to find Jesus! Help them to pick the right route to find the star over the home that Jesus is in.
Christingle Prayers
Christingles are used to celebrate the light and hope that Jesus’ birth brought to the world. Many churches hold Christingle services during December to celebrate this light. This Advent season we’ll be looking at what each part of a Christingle means. Why not join in with our Christingle prayers and let the light of Jesus fll your heart this Christmas?
The candle reminds us that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Join...
Name:
Address:
Thank you for the hope and light that you’ve given to the world. Thank you for your promises to always be with us – in the good and hard times. Thank you for showing us how to live our lives the best way possible by sharing your light with those around us. This Christmas, please shine your light into all the dark places. Where there is sickness, we pray for healing. Where there are wars, we pray for peace. Where people are being treated unfairly, we pray for freedom and justice. Where people are in need, we pray that they will get the help and support they need.
Dear God, Amen
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 fll in the application form and send it – along with two KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.
Date of birth:
Postcode:
Boy or girl: Do you attend a church, and if so, which one?
I, (signature)
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!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS.
25 December
Bret Packer – age 8
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.
22 December
Seth Allan – age 13
29 December
Shawn Martin – age 9
31 December
Lilly Gadsby – age 13
Christmas
Good Will
Hello! I’m Good Will and I’m here to remind you about the importance of doing nice things. I’ve also hidden this snow globe on another page in this week’s ISsue. In the Run-up to Christmas, spread some Christmas cheer by…
Baking some treats to take to the nurses at your local hospital
If you thought that nobody could hate Christmas more than the Grinch or Scrooge, then you’ve never heard of Oliver Cromwell! When Oliver Cromwell was in charge of England in 1645, parliament tried to ban Christmas. They made it illegal to celebrate on Christmas Day! Thankfully when Charles II became King of England in 1660, he got rid of the Christmas ban.
You probably know the date of Christmas Day and the name of the reindeer with a shiny, red nose. However, there are plenty of facts about Christmas we reckon you haven’t got stored in your noggin! So here are a couple of random Christmas facts that you defnitely (and by defnitely, we mean don’t really) need to know.
Have you ever been given a really strange present?
The British royal family love giving each other weird gifts at Christmas! Princess Anne once gifted a leather toilet seat to her brother, King Charles III. Prince William gave Queen Elizabeth II an even better present – a pair of slippers that were decorated with pictures of her face!
Spot the Difference Spot the Difference
Find the five differences between the two pictures
What did the lost crab say when it finally made it to Christmas dinner?
‘Long time no sea!’
Why are turtles so excited for Christmas?
Because they love a good shell-ebration!
Why don’t shellfish share? Because they’re shellfsh!
Snowfake
Enter the five-letter answers to the clues between the given numbers
1–2 Carol: ‘Once in Royal _ _ _ _ _’s City’.
3–4 Christmas carol: ‘Silent _ _ _ _ _’.
5–6 Group of singers in church, for example.
7–8 Female fox or one of Santa’s reindeer.
9–10 Yellow citrus fruit.
11–12 Popular Christmas film: The _ _ _ _ _ Express.
Why are fish so smart?
Because they swim in schools!
Where do fish sleep?
On the seabed! Where do fish keep their money? In a riverbank!
by Neil Locker
on Page 2
Identify the mystery item in the magnifying glass
across:
Crossword Clues
Crossword Clues
by Neil Locker
3 Number of turtle doves in the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ song. 5 Third day of Christmas gift: three _ _ _ _ _ _ hens. 6 Not raining. 7 Taut or tight. 8 Popular Christmas book, The _ _ _ _ _ Before Christmas. 11 Feline animal. 12 Christmas carol: ‘While Shepherds Watched Their _ _ _ _ _ _ by Night’. 13 Rodent. down:
1 Platter. 2 Tangle in string, for example. 3 Slender. 4 ‘We Three Kings of _ _ _ _ _ _ Are’. 6 One of Santa’s reindeer or a ballerina.
9 Present. 10 Device or implement used for a particular function. 11 Baked festive treat: Christmas _ _ _ _.
Find the ‘Tiddler’-related words in the grid
Hcompetition
ave you heard of nano tape before? It’s a really strong and super sticky tape. If you wrapped a Christmas present with nano tape, it would probably be very hard to actually open it! Nano tape might not be great for present wrapping, but it’s incredibly fun to play with.
This week’s prize is the Nano Tape Magic Deluxe set. It comes with everything you need to make amazing nano tape creations, such as slime, beads and sequins! With this set, you could use nano tape to make a key ring. Or you could use it to make your own mini aquarium, slime and toy fsh! This set even comes with an air pump, so you could blow up a piece of nano tape to make a bubble! For your opportunity to win your own Nano Tape Magic Deluxe set, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Nano Tape Magic Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 17 January when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Nano Tape Magic Competition, Kids Alive! Park, London SE5 8FJ.
What can you create by using an air pump on nano tape?
Pillow Bubble Tyre
Name:
Address:
The Nano Tape Magic Deluxe set is available from The EntertainerWIN!
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
Ho, ho, ho-w much do you know about Christmas? Sorry, that was a terrible pun – but it’s time to put your Christmas knowledge to the test with this festive quiz! Once you’ve seen how many answers you can get right, why not challenge your family to try out this quiz too?
Which of the following is not one of Santa Claus’s reindeer?
A Dasher
B Frosty
C Rudolph
C Jerusalem 2
What is the name of the day after Christmas Day?
A Swimming Day
B Running Day
What is the name of the town that Jesus was born in?
A Bethlehem
B Jericho
Which vegetable is often used as the nose for a snowman?
A Cucumber
B Celery
C Boxing Day 3 4
C Carrot 5 6
How many wise men came to worship Jesus?
A Three
B Six
C We don’t actually know for certain 7 8
What colour is the Grinch?
A Green
B Red
C Shepherds 1
Who told Mary that she was going to give birth to Jesus?
A Angel Gabriel
B Joseph
C Elizabeth
Complete this song title: ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to ____ ’.
A You
B Town
C School
Who is Father Christmas married to?
A Chrissie Kringle
B Lady Christmas
C Mrs Claus
C Yellow 10
Who came to visit Jesus frst after he was born?
A King Herod
B Roman soldiers
Answers: 1B; 2A; 3C; 4A; 5C; 6B; 7C; 8C; 9A; 10C.
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Christmas With the Territorial Leaders
Did you know that Kids Alive! is published by The Salvation Army? The Salvation Army is a church and also a charity. It does amazing things around the world! In the United Kingdom, The Salvation Army is led by Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main. Just like the Kids Alive! team, Jenine and Paul love talking about Christmas. So we got six of our readers to ask Jenine and Paul some Christmassy questions!
Nicole asked…
What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?
Jenine: I used to enjoy playing musical instruments. One Christmas I got a wooden treble recorder. On another Christmas, I got a guitar. So both of those would be my favourite presents!
Theo asked…
If you were a real character in the Nativity story, who would you be?
Jenine: I think I’d like to be a shepherd because they were chosen to go and see Jesus and to tell everybody else. But in reality, if I was a shepherd, it would be very cold out on the hillside and I don’t like being cold!
Hannah asked…
Paul: I would be an angel or a wise man. I like singing and I think the angels in the sky proclaiming Jesus must have made a brilliant sound. I’d like to join that chorus!
What’s your favourite Christmas tradition?
Paul: When our children lived with us at home, on Christmas Eve we always went to see a Christmas movie at the cinema. That’s a nice tradition. Also, because we live in London, we do a lights tour. We walk around all the Christmas lights in the City of London!
Daisy asked…
Do you have any plans for Christmas?
Jenine: We’ve got a lot of carol services that we’re going to, and a few Christmas dinners before Christmas. Then on Christmas Eve, we’re going to drive to our daughter’s house. We’ve got four grandchildren and we’re all going to be together! We’re really looking forward to that because they’re very little children. They enjoy all the presents and all the lovely things about Father Christmas!
Micah asked…
Do you use an Advent candle?
An Advent candle is a candle that people use to count down to Christmas Day!
Jenine: No, we don’t use an Advent candle, but we do like candles and we do have those in the house over December and January. I like a chocolate Advent calendar! Do you?
Micah: Yes!
Paul: Nobody buys me one, Micah, so I might have to get one this year!
What
is your favourite Christmas carol and why?
Paul: Mine is ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, particularly the last verse. It says, ‘What can I give him, poor as I am? If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wise man, I would do my part. What can I give him? Give my heart.’ I think that just sums it all up. Jesus came to love us, to save us, and our response is to give our lives to him. I love it!
Christmas Craft
Kids at Reading Central Salvation Army had an amazing time creating pictures of the Nativity with their parents. They even used lollipop sticks to make the stable! Why not have a go at making your own Nativity scene?
Cool Colourings
We’ve only got one word to describe this Gingerbread House Colouring from Charlotte, aged 7 – wow! We can’t quite believe how many colours Charlotte’s managed to ft in. It’s spectacular!
Check out this fantastic Christmas Jumper Colouring from Allana, aged 9. We love that Allana’s added Christmas lights to Rudolph’s antlers! Brilliant work, Allana!
Take a look at this very fabulous (and even more glittery) Christmas Jumper Colouring. It was sent to us by Gabby, aged 7. Well done, Gabby!
If you’d like to star in our reader profle section we’d love 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.
Suzanna
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! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
Favourite colour? Orange.
Favourite food? Sausages.
Favourite sport? All of them!
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Reading the kids’ profiles.
Favourite Bible story and why?
Jesus healing the man who couldn’t walk, because Jesus teaches us to be kind.
Favourite TV programme? Peppa Pig
What do you want to be when you’re older? Sunday school teacher. Pets? No pets, but I want a little monkey!
Tell us a joke. What do you call a fish without an eye? A fsh! What special skill or talent do you have? I can do the splits. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I am from Pakistan.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us? God loves you!
New Junior Soldier
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army Aimé, Chippenham.
