Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7534
10 OCTOBER 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
this week...
WIN!
Joseph is Betrayed this week...
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and carin for your physical, ment al and spiritual well-beingg .
Learn to Play
IN CINEMAS 16 OCTOBER Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 13:19
What’s Inside?
Turn this page upside down to read the answers DOWN: 1 Jeweller. 2 Gum. 3 Bank. 4 Acorn. 5 Flat tyre. 9 Limit. 11 Ajar. 14 Lap. CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Jug. 3 Beak. 6 Woman. 7 Oil. 8 Lily. 10 Gnat. 12 Elm. 13 Jelly. 15 Stir. 16 Pie. SUPER SUM!: 4 x 4 + 5 ÷ 3 – 6 = 1. SUDOKU: BIG MYSTERY: Palm tree. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE PATCH’S PROBLEM: Page 12. KA! JAM REAL LOVE ‘Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous… Love is not rude, is not selfish and does not become angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. Love takes no pleasure in evil… It always trusts, always hopes, and always continues strong.’ 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (International Children’s Bible).
Love our comic? Check out Morning Praise with Kids Alive! on Salvationist Radio every Saturday and Monday at 7.30–8am and every Sunday at 9–9.30am.
Go to salvationist.org.uk/radio to get your morning started with half an hour of music, prayer, a thought and lots of giggles. Or listen any time you like with the podcast, which is available on our website and all major audio platforms.
e Availabl online!
3
Forgotten Island and Ed’s Bit
4–5
KA! JAM
6
Bible Beasts and Where to Read About Them
7
Patch’s Problem
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
10
Dungeons and Dragons Questers Competition
11
Colouring Corner
12–13 KA! World 14–15 Your Space 16
Patch’s Pals Eric the Electric Eel
Subscribe* to
Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7534
10 OCTOBER 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
this week...
Joseph is Betrayed this week...
Living a healthy and an active lifestyle and caring for your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Learn to Play
© 2026 Universal Pictures. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Puzzle Answers
IN CINEMAS 16 OCTOBER
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 10:27
for £4.33 a month
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 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. *A subscription costs just £4.33 a month (or a one-off payment of £52). This subscription offer applies in the UK and Republic of Ireland, with 51 copies delivered over 12 months. Please note that different prices apply to Europe and international orders.
EDITOR Cara Mott DEPUTY EDITOR AND KA! JAM CO-ORDINATOR Ibukun Baku EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Adams GRAPHIC DESIGNER Philippa Elliott PROOFREADER Chris Horne CONTACT US Phone Office – 020 7367 4910 Territorial Headquarters Switchboard – 0845 634 0101 Email kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk Post 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ FOUNDERS Catherine and William Booth INTERNATIONAL LEADERS General Lyndon Buckingham and Commissioner Bronwyn Buckingham TERRITORIAL LEADERS Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Major Andrew Stone Published weekly by The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory.
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
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.
2 KA - p2 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 10:32
IN CINEMAS 16 OCTOBER
H
ow many special memories of your best friend do you have? Can you remember the day that you met them or something particularly lovely that they did for you? For Jo and Raissa, they have more lovely memories of one another than they could possibly count! They’ve been best friends for most of school, and they’ve gone on a ridiculous number of adventures! In case they forget any of the fab times they’ve spent with one another, they both wear homemade bracelets – with lots of charms to remind them of their friendship. However, Jo and Raissa’s friendship could be about to come to an end. They live in the Philippines, but Raissa is about to move to a university in the USA – so they won’t be able to hang out anymore! Then, on the night that Raissa is supposed to say goodbye to Jo, something incredible happens! A portal opens up in the ground, transporting them to an island the whole world has forgotten about – Nakali! Trapped on this unbelievable island with a were-dog called Raww as their guide, Jo and Raissa will have to go on one last adventure together to find a way home – before Raissa misses her flight! However, getting home won’t be easy, and it will cost the girls more than they could possibly imagine. To leave Nakali, they’ll have to forget about each other for ever!
You can watch ‘Forgotten Island’ in cinemas from Friday 16 October. The film is rated PG, which stands for parental guidance. Parents or carers can read more about this rating at bbfc.co.uk before deciding if it’s suitable for their family.
I love Jo and Raissa’s special bracelets that remind them of all the fun memories they’ve made together. What a great reminder of how important their friendship is. When I was younger, lots of people used to wear bracelets with four letters on them – WWJD. These letters stood for ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ People wore them as reminders to think about how Jesus would act and make choices to live like him. Having something on your wrist is a great reminder because you see it all through the day. Although people don’t wear those bracelets as much nowadays, this got me thinking – why don’t you make a bracelet to remind you about your friendship with Jesus? You could attach things to it like Jo and Raissa do – things that remind you to be like Jesus or that help you to remember all the amazing things he’s done for you.
3 KA - p3 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 13:18
When Love Feels Hard
I
Read the comment on the right about showing love in hard times
magine you had a brother or sister, but your iparents treated you both differently. Maybe your sibling got newer toys, extra hugs and cooler clothes than you. How would you feel? Sad or confused perhaps. Maybe even angry! Hopefully, you’ve never experienced something like that, but in this week’s Bible story, that’s exactly what happened. Jacob had 12 sons, but he had a special favourite – Joseph. Jacob loved Joseph much more than his other sons and even gave him a beautiful colourful coat. Joseph also had two unusual dreams that seemed to show that one day he would be very important – even more important than his brothers. How do you think Joseph’s brothers felt when they saw their dad treating Joseph differently? Or when Joseph told them about his dreams? The Bible tells us they became very angry and jealous. They were so upset they couldn’t even speak kindly to Joseph. Eventually, their anger grew so much that they made a terrible choice. They sold Joseph into slavery and sent him far away from home. Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished they would just go away? Maybe a friend said something hurtful or a sibling annoyed you. When someone hurts us, loving them can feel difficult. But Jesus calls us to love others, even when relationships are hard. We can choose forgiveness instead of revenge and kindness instead of anger by asking God for help. So, is there someone you’re finding difficult to get along with? What’s one loving thing you could do for them this week?
by Ibukun Baku
Real Love
patient angry
Fill in the gaps in the Bible passage that describes what true love is like. Clue – 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (International Children’s Bible).
evil
Love is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and _ _ _ _. Love is not _ _ _ _ _ _ _ … Love is not _ _ _ _, is not h s i f l e s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and does not become _ _ _ _ _ remember easily. Love does not _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ wrongs s e hop done against it. Love takes no pleasure in trusts kind _ _ _ _ … It always _ _ _ _ _ _, always s jealou _ _ _ _ _, and always continues strong. ru
de
4 KA - p4-5 - 10 October.indd 1
Answers on Page 2
02/10/2026 10:45
God’s Special Family Joseph is Betrayed
Kids Alive! follows the Salvation Army Children and Youth’s Explore it! resource – go to salvationist.org.uk/resources/discipleship/explore-it
02/10/2026 10:45
KA - p4-5 - 10 October.indd 2
Check out your Bible – Genesis 37:3-11, 18-34
5
Steve English
Bible Beaststo
Do you love animals? Don’t you agree that they are a wonderful part of God’s creation? Did you know there are plenty of creatures that play special roles in the Bible? Let’s read a story from the Bible that’s being told by one of the beasts that was actually there!
Talking Donkey
and Where Read About Them
Numbers 22
STEVE ENGLISH
. .. n i Jo
‘The king of Moab had asked my master to place a curse on the Israelites. While we were travelling, I suddenly saw a bright light ahead. It was an angel holding a sword – boy was I scared! I quickly took another path but my master ordered me back on to the right path. Three times the angel appeared and three times I tried to run away, but my master kept hitting me with his stick. By this time, not only was I scared, but I was also mad. Then a strange thing happened – I could talk! So I shouted, “Why are you hitting me? Have I acted like this before? Haven’t I always been good?” Just then my master fell on his face. He’d finally seen the angel – who promptly told him off for hitting me, especially as I had saved his life!’
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 fill in the application form and send it – along with two first-class stamps – to: KA! JAM, 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ. Applicants must be between 7 and 17 years old to join.
Name:
Date of birth:
Address: Postcode: Boy or girl: I, (signature)
6 KA - p6 - 10 October.indd 1
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!
PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS. 02/10/2026 10:50
?
To n g u e Tw is t e r s
Patch’s ? Problem... ?
See if you can say this terrifically tough tongue twister 10 times!
Flash message, flash message, flash message
? ?
HELLO, READERS, I’VE LOST A VERY IMPORTANT OBJECT SOMEWHERE IN THE ISSUE. WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO HELP ME FIND IT? I HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE HERE.
?
?
r e d n o W d l r o W
the globe there are magnificent things Our world is pretty awesome! All around jet and travel the world with us! to see. So jump in our imaginary jumbo
Mauna Loa Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano. Towering over Hawaii’s Big Island, this massive volcano measures a height of 9,000 metres from the seabed to the top. So it’s no surprise that Mauna Loa means ‘long mountain’ in Hawaiian. Since 1843, when people started writing this information down, Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times. The last major eruption was in 1984. It was a spectacular sight, but thankfully nobody was hurt because the lava flows were easy to spot and get away from. However, previous eruptions have destroyed entire villages. Lava is packed with minerals that plants need to grow. Because NASA PICTURE of this, there are many rare species of plants and animals that live on the volcano’s slopes.
7 KA - p7 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 11:00
He he, he he!
, Ho ho ! h ho o
, Ha h a , h ha a ! ha ha
Ho ho, ha ha, he he!
ry item Identify the myste glass in the magnifying
, He he ! h he e
, Ho ho , h a I woke up onhce acov h e! ered in dark red h e
paint and left on an island... ...I had been marooned!
What did the bracelet say to the wrist? ‘I’ve got you covered!’
, Ho ho ! ho ho
h a, What do you calHl ahaa ha, ! h a?h a boat full of buddies A friendship!
What do you call very small waves crashing onto the shore? Micro-waves!
Complete the grid so that every col umn, row and colour-grouped box contain the numbers 1–6
Why was the sand wet? Because the sea weed!
, Ho ho , ha ha ! he he
How does an island greet thehe,ocean? He ! h e h e no sea!' 'Long time,
- SUPER÷ + ÷ SUM! +X
add, subtract, Replace the question marks with an e the sum divide or multiply symbol to complet
X
÷
-
÷ 5 ? 4 ? 4 - + X X ?3 ? 6 + ÷ =1 ÷
8 KA - p8-9 - 10 October.indd 1
by Neil Locker
02/10/2026 11:07
÷
X
, Ho ho , ha ha ! he he
C
, He he ! he he
Answe on Pag
rs
e 2
How does an island keep its secrets safe? It buries them in the sand!
by Neil Locker
across:
Will you remember me in 10 seconds? Yes! Will you remember me in 10 minutes? Yes! Knock, knock! Who’s there? I thought you said you'd remember me!
1 Container which is used to pour liquids. 3 Bird’s mouth. 6 Adult female. 7 Liquid used for frying. 8 Flower or a girl’s name. 10 Small biting insect. 12 Deciduous tree. 13 Wobbly party food. 15 Mix with a spoon. 16 Food item with a pastry crust.
down: 1 Shopkeeper who sells rings and bracelets. 2 Soft flesh around your teeth. 3 Where you go to put in or take out your money. 4 Oak seed. 5 Problem caused by a puncture (4,4). 9 Furthest extent. 11 Partly open (door, for example.) 14 Circuit of a track.
forgotten island WORDSEARCH Find the ‘Forgotten Island’-related words in the grid
jo raissa best friends bracelets philippines nakali island raww university memories mythical creatures portal adventures
n l a c i h t y m s j b y a v r b x o w q e l e t z k e a c d j f r a s i g h a k w l m a u t t s p o t l p w i q t r f r w b u c i s d f n o r e h g r i s i j k e p i v l m e a n o s p v q e i r w s t u g h l d i n n m e m o r i e s a k d u s t e l e c a r b n s p h i l i p p i n e s d
9 KA - p8-9 - 10 October.indd 2
02/10/2026 11:07
COMPETITION
A
re you a fan of fantasy stories? Do you like nothing more than escaping to a world that’s full of mythical creatures and plenty of adventure? Dungeons and Dragons is a game that’s been thrilling fantasy fans since 1974 and now there’s a new way to experience the fun. Dungeons and Dragons Questers are blind box collectable figures inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons world. And guess what? You could win the entire Dungeons and Dragons Questers collection! That includes the 1.75-inch Creature Figures Assortment, the Adventurer Characters Assortment and the gold, red and black dragons from the Questers Monsters range. Start a new fantasy adventure with your own Dungeons and Dragons collection – you don’t need a rule book, just your imagination! For the opportunity to win your own Dungeons and Dragons Questers collection, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘Dungeons and Dragons Questers Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 6 November when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: Dungeons and Dragons Questers Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
WIN!
In what year was the original Dungeons and Dragons game released? 1974
1984
1994
Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
10 KA - p10 - 10 October.indd 1
Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 02/10/2026 11:12
FORGOTTEN ISLAND COLOURING In a new film called Forgotten Island (which you can learn more about on page 3), best buds Jo and Raissa travel to the island of Nakali. This island is unlike any place they’ve ever been to before, because it’s home to lots of mythical creatures! To celebrate Jo and Raissa’s unforgettable adventures on Nakali, add a splash of colour to the design below. If you’d like to share your artwork with other readers, email your colouring to: kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Make sure you write ‘Forgotten Island 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 fill 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: Go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive to download a printable PDF of this page KA - p11 - 10 October.indd 1
11 02/10/2026 13:19
lifestyle, and caring ve ti ac d an y th al he a Living tual well-being iri sp d an l ta en m , al ic ys for your ph
Learn to Play Music is all around us! If you’re walking in your local supermarket or waiting in a lift, you’ll probably hear a catchy tune. When you’re on a long car journey with your parents or carers, they might put on some of their favourite songs. And when you’re watching a film at the cinema, you might be blown away by a magnificent musical soundtrack!
We think that music makes our lives so much better. If you agree with us, then you’ll love a special event taking place this weekend – Learn to Play!
Music for All Music for All is an organisation which believes everyone deserves the opportunity to play music! That’s why they’ve organised Learn to Play, which started on Friday 9 October and runs for the whole of this weekend.
As part of this event, lots of music providers all over the UK will open their doors and offer music lessons for free. Anyone who wants to learn to play an instrument will be welcome – from teeny-tiny toddlers to grandpas and grandmas!
Incredible Instruments Does the thought of learning to play an instrument excite you? Maybe there are so many good choices that you’re scratching your head trying to choose which one you’d actually like to learn! It might be helpful to know that a survey in 2025 of more than 1,000 kids discovered that the piano and keyboard were the most popular instruments for children to learn. So those instruments might be a good starting point! Other popular instruments included the drums, electric guitar, flute, violin and ukulele – as well as, of course, the recorder!
12 KA - p12-13 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 11:22
Awesome Benefits No matter which instrument someone chooses to learn, Music for All believes that playing music really can change lives – including yours! That’s because playing music can have so many awesome benefits. It can… Challenge and strengthen your memory.
Give you outstanding organisational skills.
Teach you how to work hard and never give up. Give you a sense of accomplishment.
Challenge your hand-eye coordination. Help you to make new friends.
Your Turn There are so many reasons why you should take part in Learn to Play, so why not sign up for a free lesson? You can find free lessons taking place in your area by heading to musicforall.org.uk/learn-to-play-participants. If you miss out on signing up for Learn to Play, then don’t panic! You could check to see if your school is providing lessons. Or you could check whether you have a family member who plays an instrument and would be happy to teach you!
Brilliant Brass Bands You could also attend a Salvation Army church (The Salvation Army publishes Kids Alive!). Music is a massive part of lots of Salvation Army churches’ lives – there are more than 2,500 Salvation Army brass bands around the world! There are also lots of worship bands too. So by going to a Salvation Army church (or any church), you might discover that there are plenty of opportunities to learn how to play an instrument. You can find a Salvation Army church that’s near you by heading to salvationarmy.org.uk/map-page.
Make Music If you’re in the mood to get creative, you could make your own musical instrument. With an old tissue box and a few elastic bands, you could make a guitar. Or with just a couple of wooden lolly sticks, you could create your own harmonica! And if you’ve got any leftover tin cans from dinner, you could turn them into drums. To find five inspiring ideas for musical instruments you could make, check out bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/5-instruments-kids-can-make.
Music is for everyone, so why not learn how to play an instrument? KA - p12-13 - 10 October.indd 2
13
02/10/2026 11:22
Cool Colourings Aronas, aged 6, has added a cool Kids Alive! sticker to his turtley awesome colouring! e When we asked for Car e for Creation posters w as weren’t expecting one m detailed as this one fro Lowri, aged 10!
This Around the World Colouring has been perfectly coloured in by Hannah, aged 6.
er is Lowri, this post put so ve incredible! You’ d creativity much thought an w on my into this. It’s no e of how wall to remind m g for God’s important carin creation is!
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Matthew, Coventry City; Bernadette, Hawick; Funmike, Kike, Noah, Obum, Purius, Southampton Shirley.
14 KA - p14-15 - 10 October.indd 1
02/10/2026 11:30
H a p py B i r t h d ay t o yo u ! 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
10 October Nataliah Campbell-Lightley – age 12 11 October Eilidh Hunter – age 7
How adorable is this rainbow Happy Dog Colouring from Felicity, aged 8? We love it!
Max Age? 10. Favourite colour? Gold. Favourite food? Cheese. Favourite sport? Rounders.
G et I n To 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 bit of Kids Alive! ? Puzzles and Patch’s Pals. Favourite Bible story and why? Noah’s ark, because it talks about lots of different animals and reminds us that God always keeps his promises. Favourite TV programme? The Amazing World of Gumball. Pets? Rabbit called Louis. Hobbies? Writing stories, Lego and gaming. Tell us a joke. Why can’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she will let it go! What special skill or talent do you have? I’ve completed the game Luigi’s Mansion about 10 times and beaten Super Mario Odyssey. Tell us something interesting about yourself. My middle name is Henry – named after the Arsenal player, Thierry Henry.
15 KA - p14-15 - 10 October.indd 2
02/10/2026 11:30
OUCH! THIS IS PAINFUL!
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ERIC?
I’M ENTERING A CONTEST.
IS IT A BALLET CONTEST? BALLET DANCERS DO A LOT OF POINTE WORK ON TIPPY-TOES.
NO, IT’S A COMEDY COMPETITION, PATCH.
I’M NOT COMPLETELY SURE WHY I HAVE TO DO IT LIKE THIS, IT’S JUST THat THE POSTER SAID…
THE SALVATION ARMY – A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND REGISTERED CHARITY
…IT’S A STAND-UP COMPETITION!
Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2026. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
KA - p16 - 10 October.indd 1
LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO LOCAL INFO
Please Recycle Me! 02/10/2026 11:31