Puzzle Answers
16 Patch’s Pals: Pirate Pete and His Jolly Crew
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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.
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EDITOR Cara Mott
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Adams
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Martin
PROOFREADER Chris Horne
CONTACT US
Phone Of!ce – 020 7367 4910
Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ
FOUNDERS William and Catherine Booth
DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku
Territorial Headquarters Switchboard – 0845 634 0101
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.
Welcome to the very !rst issue of Kids Alive! in 2025! We hope you’re excited because we de!nitely are! Before you check out all of the cartoons, facts and colourings we’ve packed into this issue, we have just one thing to say to you – ‘Happy New Year!’
How has your new year been going so far? We know it’s only been 2025 for about four days, but have you chosen any New Year’s resolutions yet? Perhaps you’ve not just started coming up with New Year’s resolutions but you’ve also started to make plans for the rest of the year. Just in case you’ve not started planning your year yet, we thought that it would be a great idea to tell you about a few things to look forward to in 2025.
Turn to pages 12 and 13 to find plenty of ideas for New Year’s resolutions
In May, Lilo & Stitch comes out in cinemas – we can’t wait to see how uffy Stitch looks! Then in July, the Lionesses will be defending their Euros 2022 win at Euro 2025. Later in the yaaarrrr… we mean year, it’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day (19 September), so we hope ye are looking forward to that day. During October, we’ll be celebrating Black History Month, as we learn about the amazing achievements of Black British people.
Before you know it, it will be Christmas again. Then it will be New Year’s Eve. And then, believe it or not, you’ll be holding a brand-new issue of Kids Alive! that starts by saying something like, ‘Welcome to the very !rst issue of Kids Alive! in 2026!’ But before then (and you’ve got a while yet), we hope that you have a fantastic 2025!
I love getting a new diary at the start of the year – so many blank pages to fll with adventures. Do you have any exciting plans for 2025? Maybe you have a family holiday planned. Or perhaps you have big changes coming, such as moving house or starting a new school. Although I love making plans, I fnd big changes a bit scary.
God understands that changes can be scary too. In the Bible, there’s a letter that Jeremiah wrote to the Israelites when they were going through lots of changes. In this letter Jeremiah told the Israelites that God said, ‘I will bless you with a future flled with hope – a future of success, not of suffering’ (Jeremiah 29:11, Contemporary English Version). That doesn’t mean everything will always be easy, but you can look forward to the year ahead with hope. God has good plans for you –trust him because he knows exactly what he’s doing!
There
Does Christmas Day feel like it was ages ago? Well, the good news is that the Christmas story isn’t over just yet! During the very !rst Christmas, after the special, new star appeared in the sky, the story continued with the wise men’s long journey all the way from the east.
The wise men had spent their whole lives learning about the world, so they knew there was something truly special about this newborn king. They might not have known what it was, but they had enough trust in God to follow the star, !nd the new king and worship him.
Worship is an important part of following God. It’s a way for people to express how much they love and respect God. The wise men worshipped Jesus by bowing down and giving him gifts, but there’s so many other ways we can worship God too.
As Christians, we have the Bible, so we know that not only was Jesus the newborn king, but he is God’s son too. Jesus lived a perfect life and !xed our broken relationship with God. He took the punishment for the wrong things we do and now we all have the opportunity to be a part of God’s family.
The wonderful thing is that Jesus chose to do this for no other reason than because he loves us! If that isn’t a reason to worship him then I don’t know what is. As it’s a new year, why not make a resolution to regularly worship Jesus by saying thank you for all that he’s done?
Mix and Match
Check out your Bible –Matthew 2:1–12; James 1:17
Bumper Bible Breakdown
Did you know the Bible isn’t one big book? It’s actually 66 books put together to tell one big story of God’s great love. Join us as we look at each Bible book and discover why God made the world, what went wrong and how in the end God saved the world through his son, Jesus.
Life Isn’t Meaningless!
Have you ever asked yourself, ‘What’s the point?’
Perhaps you asked yourself that on New Year’s Eve, counting down to the end of 2024. You might have secretly felt a bit upset that Christmas was over and wondered what the point of New Year’s Eve was. You might have even felt like everything was a bit meaningless.
That’s how a person known as the Teacher felt in the book of Ecclesiastes! The Teacher realised that nothing lasted for ever. Many things in this world didn’t really mean much, because it would all be gone soon. So he felt like everything was a bit meaningless. However, the Teacher also knew that God wasn’t meaningless. Although our lives might change all the time, the Teacher knew that God was in control and worth following. So at the start of this new year, remember that knowing God means that life isn’t meaningless!
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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 KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. 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?
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.
There are 195 countries in the world. We’re going to explore 26 of them, using the alphabet to decide where to go to next!
A for Albania
Albania is a country in Europe. It’s known as The Land of the Eagles because the eagle is its national symbol! You can even spot an eagle on Albania’s ag. The capital city, Tirana, looks very colourful because many of its buildings have been painted with bright colours!
Problem...
Hello, readers, i’M PATCH AND I’VE GOT A PROBLEM I THINK YOU MAY BE ABLE TO HELP ME WITH. i’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? i HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE. 1 2
Has anyone ever told you that you have the memory of a gold!sh? Some people used to think that a gold!sh couldn’t remember what it was up to three seconds before, but scientists now believe that gold!sh actually have good memories. In fact (and we know this sounds bananas), six gold!sh were even taught to drive robotic cars made out of !sh tanks!
You might know the date that Valentine’s Day is on or the name of the current king of the United Kingdom. However, there are also plenty of strange facts we reckon you haven’t got stored in your noggin! So here are a couple of random facts that you de!nitely (and by de!nitely, we mean don’t really) need to know.
What’s the name of the place that you live in? Is it a short name or a long one? If you’re reading this issue of Kids Alive! from your home in Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch in Wales, then congratulations! Your village has the longest place name in Europe! Now try saying thatname without taking a breath…
he
Replace the question marks with an add, subtract, divide or multiply symbol to complete the sum
4 ? 8 ? 2 ? = 6 ? 3 1
Moo Year’s Eve! Hoho,haha,hehe!
What’s a cow’s favourite holiday?
What did the cat say on 1 January?
‘Happy Mew Year!’ Ha ha, ha ha, ha ha!
What was the caterpillar’s New Year’s resolution? To turn over a new leaf!
The answers to the clues in this puzzle are anagrams of the answer immediately above or below, plus or minus one letter. The first one is filled in to give you a start.
by Neil Locker
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
Ho ho, ho ho!
He he, he he!
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
Why did the man sprinkle sugar on his pillow on New Year’s Eve?
He wanted to start the year with sweet dreams!
What’s a spider’s New Year’s resolution?
To spend less time on the web!
Last year, I was able to keep all of my New Year’s resolutions... ...tucked away in a journal on my bookshelf!
Why did the lady stand on one leg at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
She wanted to start the year on the right foot!
by Neil Locker
across:
3 Drink a small amount. 5 A journey by aeroplane. 6 Young dog. 7 Asian republic whose capital is Damascus. 8 Yellow citrus fruit. 11 Park where visitors can see wild animals. 12 Small red fruit. 13 First woman in the Bible.
down:
1 Applaud. 2 Breakfast meal, scrambled _ _ _ _.
3 Mix with a spoon. 4 Vegetable used to make chips. 6 Law enforcement officers. 9 Small rodents. 10 Require. 11 Nought or nothing.
Find the Happy New Year-related words in the grid
countdown celebrations balloons fireworks
games dancing music hopeful midnight resolutions excited happy cheers
AMAZING ASIA COMPETITION
What do you know about Asia? Did you know that Asia is the largest of the world’s seven continents? It’s also home to the Singing Dunes of Mongolia and the tallest mountain above sea level – Mount Everest! With this week’s prize, a book called Amazing Asia Sirdeshpande, you can dive into learning all about this vast and epic continent.
This brilliant book celebrates Asia’s ! stunning landscapes and wonderful wildlife, as well as amazing people from all around the continent. It’s also got plenty of interesting facts for you to learn and just as much beautiful artwork. By reading Amazing Asia get up to date on Asia’s incredible past, its fascinating present and its exciting future!
For your opportunity to win your own copy of Asia, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
Remember to put ‘Amazing Asia Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 31 January when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by !lling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Amazing Asia Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
WHICH OF THESE MOUNTAINS IS IN ASIA?
MOUNT EVEREST MONT BLANC MOUNT STANLEY
Name: Address:
HAPPY NEW YEAR COLOURING
Have you done any colouring in 2025 yet? If not, sharpen your colouring pencils and grab your felt-tip pens! Then celebrate the New Year by adding a splash of colour to the design below! Since it’s the start of a new year, why not try something new with this colouring, such as adding glitter or using watercolour paints? If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colouring 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 colouring to: Your Space, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. 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!
Name: Age:
Address:
Postcode:
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
New Year’s Resolutions
We’ve said this to you once in this issue, but we’re going to say it again anyway – Happy New Year! It’s 2025 and that means that you’ve got a whole new year ahead of you! A new year is the perfect opportunity to make positive changes in your life, so why not think about making a New Year’s resolution?
Goals for the Year
A New Year’s resolution is a goal that you come up with for the coming year, often made at the start of January. This could be something really simple, such as remembering to brush your teeth twice a day. Or it could be something super tricky, such as learning a different language!
Healthy Habits
Everyone develops habits throughout their life, which are things that they do without really thinking. Making a New Year’s resolution can help you to create healthy habits by getting you used to doing healthy things. They can also help you to break unhealthy habits, such as eating way too much chocolate!
Team
Up!
You don’t have to come up with your New Year’s resolution on your own. You could share a resolution with friends and family. For example, you could all agree to go on a walk together every Saturday. So New Year’s resolutions can actually help you to get closer to the people you love!
Bonjour!
A Resolutions History
New Year’s resolutions started about 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylon, back when the new year started in the middle of March! Babylonians would hold a 12-day festival all about making resolutions for the next year.
In 46BC, a guy called Julius Caesar (who was the leader of Rome) changed the calendar so that the start of the new year would be on 1 January. He wanted people to look back at the year that they’d just had and then make resolutions for the year to come!
In 1740, a Christian called John Wesley came up with a Covenant Renewal Service at the start of the new year. The idea was that people would take the time to make resolutions about how they would follow God over the next year, while also singing a few songs!
Resolution Recommendations
Here are a few ideas for New Year’s resolutions that you could make, just in case you’re struggling to think of any…
Eat more fruit and vegetables! If you’ve got a sweet tooth and you’re not keen on eating healthily, why not take this opportunity to change your diet?
Do something kind every day, whether that’s helping your parents with the washing-up or talking to someone who’s on their own at school.
Do more exercise! Try out swimming, skipping, netball or something else entirely. Try out lots of different sports and !nd one that you love.
Read 10 (or more) books this year. Make the time to read about lots of different things. Check out Amazing Asia, this week’s competition prize, for a good book you could read!
Pray to God every day! Do you !nd it hard to pray? Lots of people do, so it can be easy to just ignore praying. Why not make it a New Year’s resolution instead?
We
Try to talk to grown-ups when you’re feeling stressed or worried! Rather than keep things to yourself, why not make it a resolution to always talk to people when you need help?
hope you keep your New Year’s resolutions and have a fantastic 2025!
Wild Robot Competition Winners!
Back in October 2024, we ran a Design a Robot Competition to win a bundle of goodies linked to the !lm The Wild Robot. We had so many awesome entries, but we particularly loved these three! So congratulations to Alana, Micah and Robin – your prizes are on their way to you.
Robin, Age 9
Alana, Age 8
Micah, Age 8
To see your name and birthday printed in a future issue of KA! email your full name and date of birth to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk
5 January
Leah Brooks – age 12
6 January
Jonah Trenner – age 13
7 January
Michael Reede – age 13
Joshua Squires – age 10
If you’d like to star in our reader pro!le section we’d love to hear from you! Get a grown-up to send us an email using the address in the pink box below. Then we’ll send you the forms to complete.
Samuel
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
Age? 11.
Favourite colour? Orange.
Favourite food? Jollof rice.
Favourite bit of Kids Alive!? Giggle in the Middle.
Favourite Bible story and why? When God created the world, because he loves us.
Favourite TV programme? Dragon Ball Super. What do you want to be when you’re older? A footballer. Pets? No pets. Hobbies? Playing sport, mostly football.
Tell us a joke. Why did the cow cross the road? To go to the moovies! What special skill or talent do you have? I can do a proper bicycle kick.
Tell us something interesting about yourself. I am a really good defender. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? No.
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army Charlotte, Olivia, Bristol South; Amber, Gloucester; Faith, Maltby; Luca, Staple Hill.
LOOK, CAP’N PETE, I’VE GOT A SMARTPHONE.
THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO DO WAS TAKE A SELFIE, BUT I HAVEN’T GOT A SELFIE STICK.
YOU’LL JUST NEED TO IMPROVISE, PIRATE.
LATER…
WHO DID THIS WITH OUR SAIL AND WHERE’S OUR SHIP’S MAST?
I’VE GOT THE MAST, CAP’N, COS YOU SAID I SHOULD IMPROVISE…
