Kidzone magazine turns 25!

Kidzone – the weekly publication for children aged 5-14 produced by the Australia Territory – is celebrating its 25th year in print.

The first edition of Kidzone went out on 10 April 1999, produced by the former Southern Territory editorial department. It replaced The Young Soldier, an iconic newspaper-style magazine published to support The Salvation Army’s Young People’s sections. It had been in operation for over 100 years.

“We were looking at doing another magazine, something that was a bit more relevant to children of today,” said Publications Manager Cheryl Tinker. “And along with Colonel Pam Trigg, we decided we would start a kids’ magazine that was called Kidzone.

“Its real primary purpose is to introduce kids to Jesus in a way that is fun and relevant.”

Using pop culture in a relevant, positive and educational way, each week, the magazine features competitions, video game news, Bible stories, cartoons, puzzles and activities. It is enjoyed by 27,000 readers each week.

Kidzone is distributed throughout the Australia Territory to corps, centres and Salvos Stores. It is also used as a ministry tool wherever The Salvation Army connects with the community or collects donations in shopping centres, at special events or included in hampers for families.

“It’s really important to us that the magazine is not just a magazine, that it actually has a purpose. And the primary purpose is that it fulfils the mission and vision of The Salvation Army.”

Watch the anniversary video (below) to explore more about the magazine’s journey over the last 25 years.