Kids Alive! – formerly The Young Soldier – Issue No 7529
5 September 2026
The world's longest-running publication for children!
salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive
50P/60c
this week...
Jesus Cares this week...
yle and caring and an active lifest Living a healthy mental and spiritual well-being. for your physical,
The Big Connection
Kids Alive! is available online – go to salvationist.org.uk/kidsalive KA - p1 - 5 September.indd 1
WIN! 28/08/2026 10:30
What’s Inside?
Puzzle Answers Turn this page upside down to read the answers DOWN: 1 Frog. 2 Roe. 4 Arrow. 5 Lawn. 6 Rainbow. 10 Angel. 11 Bear. 12 Bark. 15 Eye.
3
Blackpool Illuminations and Ed’s Bit
CROSSWORD ACROSS: 1 Fork. 3 Jail. 7 Opera. 8 Raw. 9 Barn owl. 13 Egg. 14 Omega. 16 Rule. 17 Neck.
4–5
KA! JAM
6
Proverbially Speaking
7
World Wonder
8–9
Giggle in the Middle
10
National Geographic Kids Competition
11
Colouring Corner
BIG MYSTERY: Ferris wheel. BULL’S EYE: 1 Cabin. 2 Ocean. 3 Satin. 4 Melon. 5 Organ. 6 Simon. New word: Cosmos. GIGGLE IN THE MIDDLE PATCH’S PROBLEM: Page 3.
12–13 KA! World
TRUE OR FALSE True: 1, 3, 7 and 8. False: 2, 4, 5 and 6. KA! JAM
14–15 Your Space 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!
16
Patch’s Pals Naughty Norman
Subscribe* to
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.
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I
magine that you’re living in Victorian England and it’s the evening of 18 September 1879. You’ve gone for a walk along the Blackpool Promenade – and you’ve just witnessed something unbelievable! You’ve spotted eight lamps. These lamps aren’t lit by candles, like the lanterns you have at home. They’re lit by electricity! And they’re out on display 12 months before the creation of the light bulb! We’ve just asked you to imagine the first ever Blackpool Illuminations – a beautiful display of lights in Blackpool. This special event is more than 100 years old, but it’s still going strong! Stretching across six miles in Blackpool, from Starr Gate to Red Bank Road, there are now far more than eight lights to check out. We reckon there are so many fantastic lights that it would be hard to count them all! Some of the lights in the Illuminations hang over the road, and some are displayed on the grassy seafront – but you can enjoy all of them from the comfort of a car or tram. As you travel along the coast, you’ll see displays of fearsome pirates, stunning kaleidoscopes, excellent Egyptians, dastardly Daleks and so much more! Just like the first ever Blackpool Illuminations stunned their Victorian visitors, we reckon that this year’s Illuminations will blow you away too! The Blackpool Illuminations began on 4 September and will run until 3 January. You can find out more by visiting visitblackpool.com/things-to-do/blackpool-illuminations.
Can you believe it’s September? The summer holidays have come to an end (or you might be fortunate enough to have a few days left!), the sun is setting earlier every evening and people are getting ready for the start of autumn. For some people the end of summer is sad. Darkness can make things seem gloomy or scary. Imagine walking down a street and all the lights are out – it would be hard to find the right way home and not trip over. If someone lit up that street like Blackpool’s Illuminations, though, you’d find your way with no problem! That’s what it’s like when Jesus is in your life, because he is the Light of the World. He helps you see the right way to live and guides you when you’re not sure what to do. So remember to let Jesus’ light guide you as you head into autumn, winter and beyond!
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Read the comment below about how Jesus’ love is for everyone
Love for All!
W
ihat’s your favourite book? How about your ifavourite TV show or film? Did you find those questions easy to answer? It can be easy to share what our favourite things are, especially if we really love them (like how I love The Muppet Christmas Carol!) – but when we’re thinking about people, that’s different. As a mum, I try hard to make sure that both my girls get equal amounts of time and attention from me. I also try to make sure that they get the same treats and, most of all, love. I want them to know that I don’t have a favourite child and that I love them both equally. In this week’s Bible cartoon, we see that Jesus doesn’t have favourites either. There are
by Cara Mott
two stories in this cartoon, one about a man with leprosy and one about a royal official. These two people were very different – the man with leprosy would have been ignored or treated badly by people at the time, while the official was one of the king’s important men. Despite their differences, they did have some things in common. First, they had a strong faith in Jesus and believed that he had the power to heal. Second, they were both equally loved and cared about by Jesus. Jesus didn’t care how rich or important each of them were. He cared for them exactly the same. Just like these men from the Bible, Jesus loves and cares about you too – and there’s no limit to his love, so there’s more than enough for all of us!
True or False
Below are several statements. Put a tick next to the ones that are true and a cross next to the ones that are false.
1 Jesus cares about sick people
5 Jesus only loves people
2 Jesus only loves rich people
who never make mistakes
3 Jesus cares about important
6 Jesus only cares about
people
people who live in the UK
4 Jesus only loves people who
7 Jesus loves you
have brown hair
8 Jesus loves everyone
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Answers on Page 2 28/08/2026 10:07
Following Jesus Jesus Cares
Kids Alive! follows the Salvation Army Children and Youth’s Explore it! resource – go to salvationist.org.uk/resources/discipleship/explore-it
28/08/2026 10:07
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Check out your Bible – Matthew 8:1-4; John 4:46-54
5
Steve English
Proverbially Speaking top tips from proverbs
Top Tip 18 sensual
d fragrance give ul. Just as lotions an p refreshes the so hi ds en fri t ee sw delight, a Proverbs 27:9
nglish Version)
(Contemporary E
. .. n i Jo
STEVE ENGLISH
Knowing the right thing to do is often a lot easier than actually doing it. That’s why King Solomon wrote the Bible book of Proverbs. It’s filled with hundreds of tips on how to live a godly life. So if you would like to live your life Jesus’ way, see if you can put this week’s top tip into action.
Action!
Do you have a be st friend? What’s your favourite thing ab out them? Having a good pal is awesome. N ot only can you sp end time together having lo ts of fun, but you can also help and support each other. This week, tell your best buddy how happy you are to be thei r friend!
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)
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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. 28/08/2026 10:23
?
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!
Tie tw ine to th ree tre e tw igs
? ?
?
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
Neuschwanstein Castle Does this castle look familiar? If you’re a Disney fan it probably does – this real-life German castle is one of the places that inspired the Cinderella Castle at Disney World and the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Nestled in the Bavarian Alps, the castle was originally built for King Ludwig II – King of Bavaria. This shy king wanted the castle built so he could withdraw from his public. Unfortunately the construction took so long that Ludwig only lived in it for a short amount of time before he died. Neuschwanstein means ‘new swan stone’ and was named after a character called Knight of the Swan from one of Wagner’s operas. Although Neuschwanstein was only built for one person, today around 1.4 million people visit the fairy tale palace every year.
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bulb Why did the light ? like to give advice Because it always had a bright idea!
What did the teacher say to the light bulb? ‘You have a bright future!’
Starting from the outer segments and working towards the middle, write the answers to the clues so they all end with the same letter. Some letters have been included to help you. If answered correctly the outer segments will spell out a new word. Clue: Universe. 1
6
M
B
G
E L
T
3
How many birds does it take to change a light bulb? Toucan do it!
What did the light bulb say to the detective? ‘Let’s shed light on this mystery!’
What did the first light bulb say to the second light bulb? ‘Watt’s up!’
Lo ck er
5
2
H o ho, ha ha, he he!
H e he, he he!
4
at 1 Room on a bo water 2 Large body of iny fabric 3 Smooth and sh uit 4 Large juicy fr rument 5 Keyboard inst e of St Peter 6 Original nam
il Ne y b
What did one traffic light say to the other? ‘Don’t look! I’m changing!’
What do you call a medieval lamp? Knight light!
Why did the teacher wear sunglasses to class? Because the students were so bright!
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H e h e, h e h e!
H o h o, h a h a, h e h e!
ect ry obj e t s y m glass fy the Identi magnifying in the
Ans on
we
Pag
rs
e 2
across:
Crossword Crossword Clues
1 Item of cutlery. 3 Prison. 7 Musical drama. 8 Uncooked. 9 Nocturnal bird that might live in a hayloft (4,3). 13 Ingredient in an omelette. 14 Last letter of the Greek alphabet. 16 Regulation or law. 17 Part of the body that holds up the head.
Clues
down: 1 Amphibian. 2 Fish eggs. 4 Projectile fired from a bow. 5 Grassy area of a garden. 6 Arc of colours seen in the sky. 10 Heavenly messenger. 11 Animal such as a grizzly. 12 Outer covering of a tree. 15 Organ of sight. by Neil Locker
illuminations wordsearch Find the Blackpool Illuminations-related words in the grid
promenade tableAux lights lamps festoons light of life sky forest wishing star artemis teddy bear seaside flower shower
w t a b l e A U X s v f b i j l k mw z e n l s c a s d a f g a h o y k t r i h j m s k w o l y e t l m i i p e n t o f d e p i d n r s q s n o d m r e g s g t u e v r y i a z h h y s j f w e b s b o c d t e t f g s e h w i j k l s m a n t a e p e d a n e m o r p r l i g h t o f l i f e
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KIDS COMPETITION
WIN
!
S
top! Before you read any further, put on your best lab coat (or a giant shirt you’ve pinched from a parent or carer’s cupboard). Then slip on a pair of safety goggles (or some ridiculously cool sunglasses). Now that you’re dressed like a spectacular scientist, you’re ready to learn about National Geographic’s super-sized science kits! These interactive kits are the perfect way to discover more about our wonderful world, and to try out some mind-boggling experiments. If you win this wickedly cool competition, then you’ll have four different sets to put to the test, including the Cool Reactions Chemistry Kit and the Earth Science Kit. With all four kits, you’ll get to mix strange chemicals, build your own exploding volcano and even grow your own crystals! For the opportunity to win your own National Geographic super-sized science kits bundle, answer the question below and email your full name, age, address and answer to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk. Remember to put ‘National Geographic Kids Competition’ in the subject box. Your entry needs to reach us by Friday 2 October when the winners will be chosen. You can also enter by filling in the details on the coupon below and posting it to: National Geographic Kids Competition, Kids Alive! 1 Champion Park, London SE5 8FJ.
How many test tubes are hidden on this page? Three Five Seven Name: Address: ____________ Postcode:
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Age:
_
Remember, the best way to enter is to email your entry to kidsalive@salvationarmy.org.uk 28/08/2026 10:41
WOMEN’S SUPER LEAGUE COLOURING Glorious goalkeepers, dazzling defenders, magnificent midfielders and spectacular strikers – some of the world’s very best footballers are taking part in this season’s Women’s Super League! With each team playing 26 matches, we reckon there’ll be plenty of unmissable football to check out. To celebrate the start of this legendary league, 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 ‘Women’s Super League 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 - 5 September.indd 1
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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
The Big Connection Did you know that the comic you’re reading right now was created by The Salvation Army? As well as producing Kids Alive!, The Salvation Army does tons of fantastic work to help people in need. This includes helping people in other countries, but it also includes supporting communities in the UK! This September, The Salvation Army is running the Big Connection appeal. The idea is simple – they want people from all around the UK to come together to raise money. Any money that’s gathered will then be used to care for those in our local communities who are facing hard times!
Spectacular Stories The Salvation Army has been running the Big Connection for many years, which means that this appeal has helped bucketloads of people in the past. Here are a few stories of how money raised from the Big Connection has helped to make a ginormous difference!
Betty The Salvation Army was able to look after Betty because of money raised during the Big Connection! After spending months in a hospital, a woman called Betty wasn’t able to work anymore. This meant she was struggling to have enough money to care for her family.
Thankfully, Betty’s neighbour put her in touch with The Salvation Army. They were able to give her advice on how to use her money, and they were able to show her love during an incredibly difficult time. When Betty ran out of food, The Salvation Army gave her food parcels to take home.
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Jackie Jackie works for The Salvation Army – and thanks to money raised by the Big Connection, she’s part of a team in Worksop that are doing something truly brilliant.
People who are experiencing homelessness might struggle to feed themselves, so Jackie has created a space where they can drop in to have meals. They can also take showers, use laundry facilities and get help from professionals. For Jackie, this is a way of showing people who are experiencing homelessness that they’re loved!
Loving Others If you’re a regular Kids Alive! reader, then it probably won’t be a shock to find out that The Salvation Army is run by Christians. So when The Salvation Army uses money raised by the Big Connection to help those in need, they’re sharing the love of Jesus. By taking part in the Big Connection, you’ll be sharing the love of Jesus with your local community too!
Fantastic Fundraising Since the Big Connection is all about people coming together to raise money, here are a couple of fab suggestions for how you could team up with some friends or family to fundraise!
No Screens You and your whole family could ask neighbours or people at your church to sponsor you to not use any screens – such as televisions, tablets and mobile phones – for a whole day (or even a week). Instead of watching YouTube, you could put on a bake sale or even go on a sponsored hike with your parents or carers!
Litter Picking If you’d like to raise some money and help to clean up your community, then you should think about organising a sponsored litter pick! You could ask people to give money to the Big Connection for every bag of litter you gather, and then you could spend a day litter picking with your family! If you’d like some advice or help with running a sponsored litter pick, please email territorial.appeals@salvationarmy.org.uk.
Your Turn Can you think of any other ways you could raise money during the Big Connection? Send your ideas (or details of any fundraising you get up to) to the email address above. We might even publish some of your ideas in Kids Alive!
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Cool Colourings Abigail, aged 8, has sent this Circus Colouring to us – we think it looks so fun!
Ph o ebe
Jacob, aged 5, has done a fab job with his Firefighters Colouring!
Age? 5. Favourite colour? Orange and pink. Favourite food? Chocolate! Favourite sport? Gymnastics. Favourite bit of Kids Alive! ? Colouring. Favourite Bible story and why? The Christmas story, because I love celebrating Christmas, decorating a tree and getting presents. Favourite TV programme? Peppa Pig . What do you want to be when you’re older? A doctor. Pets? None, but my nanny and grandad have a dog called Ziggy that I love. Hobbies? Gymnastics, playing Barbies, painting and playing with my best friend, Ella. Tell us a joke. Why did the American pirate cross the road? Because he wanted to shop at Taaarget! What special skill or talent do you have? I’m really good at gymnastics. Tell us something interesting about yourself. I’m really good at making people laugh. Is there anything else you would like to tell us? I love Disney princesses and my favourite is Ariel. I met her at Disney World this summer with my big sister!
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
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2, George, aged 1 has created this awesome turtle colouring – what a great way to d shell-ebrate Worl Turtle Day!
Ruby, aged 9, has used some super summery colours for her cool creation – great work!
The acrobat in this colouring from Tomas, aged 13, looks very happy with the design he’s created for her!
I’ve never seen such a neat colouring, Ruby! It may be September, but we all still need to remember to stay safe in the sun!
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
8 September Zuzia Pieczynska – age 13
New Junior Soldiers
A junior soldier is a young member of The Salvation Army
Alex, Charlie, Danielle, Deborah, Elim, Jason, Jessy, Lydia, Menare, Nat, Toby, Gateshead; Evie, Imogen, Shami, Ripon; Simon, Salisbury; Kyla, Kyle, Stapleford.
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NORMAN, ARE YOU SLEEPING IN MY HISTORY LESSON?
NO, MISS.
I’LL SOON FIND OUT IF YOU’RE TELLING THE TRUTH. I’VE JUST BEEN TEACHING ABOUT AMERICAn presidents.
THE VERY FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE USA WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON.
BUT WHICH PRESIDENT SUCCEEDED HIM, NORMAN?
THAT’S EASY, MISS! THE SECOND PRESIDENT OF THE USA!
Published by The Salvation Army. © The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland Territory, 2026. Printed by CKN Print, Northampton.
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THE SALVATION ARMY – A CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND REGISTERED CHARITY
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Please Recycle Me! 28/08/2026 10:25