Smells like team spirit: 8 super fun ways kids can support their favorite team

If your kids are big sports fans like mine, with lots of seasons just getting started or already underway, they love finding fun ways to show off their team spirit. However, lots of schools are starting to ban team jerseys (for real), meaning kids have to get a little creative when it comes to supporting their favorite team. And for those of you with kids who have to wear uniforms to school, then it's an automatic no-go for any sports-related clothing.

So we've looked at some fun ways kids can show their team spirit that are still clever and cool, on behalf of our newest sponsor, The Northwest. They make of tons of back-to-school gear featuring your kid's favorite teams (or hey, even your own) including backpacks, lunchboxes, and a whole lot more. The best part: kids can do these all things themselves. No advance crafting skills necessary! -Kristen

Team colors fingernail polish

Can you tell we live in Philly? 

My kids already love to paint on color combo nail polish, so using their favorite team colors on their fingers and toes is a no-brainer. We recently recommended a great safe nail polish for kids that washes off with water -- perfect if kids decide to switch allegiances if their team is on a losing streak. (Ha.). You can also purchase nail decals to lay over the polish,  if your kids want to make sure everyone knows exactly which sport they're supporting.  

Team color friendship bracelets

Philly in the house! 

We've been knee deep in embroidery floss at my house thanks to the return of the friendship bracelet craze. It's such a fun way for kids to show their team spirit up and down their wrists and ankles. Plus, it's a great rainy day activity, or even something they can do to keep their hands busy while they're watching a long game. Want to know where to start? We've shared some terrific friendship bracelet tutorials, ranging from easy (as in, my 6-year old can do them), to more challenging. Other variations: Kids can keep making those lanyards they probably worked on all summer; or try rainbow loom bracelets, which my son still loves doing. Just grab that plastic gimp or little rubber bands and get them crafting.

Team color hair accessories

Michigan vs Michigan State: A big rivalry in our home

It's easy to find big ribbon bows in team colors, and if that's your jam, then go for it. My own girls aren't really bow fans, so instead we opt for affordable barrettes, hair ties, or even even colored bobby pins. You can pick them up at your local drug store, and play around to create your own hair styles or patterns. If you've got nimble fingers, you can even combine them with these very cool hair braid designs which of course need a set of team color rubber bands to finish them off.

Team backpacks and lunch boxes 

A fun way for kids to show exactly which team they support -- besides wearing it on their chests -- is with a bold team logo on their backpack or lunch box. And that's exactly what our sponsor The Northwest offers, and super affordably too. (Hello, $19.99 backpack!) The lunch boxes offer full insulation, while the backpacks are smartly designed with padded straps and a padded back panel, plus mesh side pockets for water bottles. Gotta keep our little sports fans hydrated, right? At these prices, you can snatch up your kids' favorite teams across different sports, so they can change things up based on the season. Also smart: grab a few to give out as incredibly thoughtful birthday party gifts throughout the year, as we all know back-to-school means tons of birthday parties.

Embellish a denim jackets or jeans

If you've got crafty kids, or you're crafty yourself,  we love the idea of grabbing team patches and decorating a denim jacket to make it your very own.  They're also a smart way to give new life to old jeans or make a hand-me-down sweatshirt feel new and special. I found a bunch of very cool vintage sports team patches over on Etsy (above) or check your local thrift store or vintage shop which may have what you're looking for. If you can't sew, opt for Velcr0-backed patches, or my personal favorite, iron-ons patches, which are such a great shortcut.

Mix-n-match team color socks

Let's go Flyers! (Sense a theme here?)

If your kids are like mine, mismatched socks are not just a result of the laundry needing to be done. They're actually a style statement that we're seeing on both the boys and the girls at my kids' school, and perhaps yours too. Just grab a bunch of socks in their favorite team colors and let them go to town. They get to show their team spirit... and you don't have to worry about making sure they have matching socks. Kids can even wear two pairs at once in cooler weather; scrunch down the outside pair and let the inside pair peek out from the top.

Team color shoe laces

Where our Rockies fans at? 

Replacing boring white shoelaces with colorful ones are all the rage with kids right now, and it's an easy way to show your team spirit and wear your team's colors. Try two laces at once in your shoes, or like the socks above, one color lace on the right shoe and the second color on the left. Or, you can do what we did here and combine the shoe color with the lace color to support a team. These black Cons paired with purple laces say "Go Rockies!" in a cool, subtle way.

Decorate Notebooks and Binders

This one's for our Pittsburgh friends! 

At the beginning of the school year, my kids are actually required to decorate their school notebooks with favorite  magazine cut-outs, stickers, and other embellishments representing their interests and passions. It's the perfect opportunity to show team spirit, whether you're popping a huge team logo sticker on the front, or going DIY with color-coordinated stickers and washi tape designs using favorite team colors. For older kids with cell phones, they could DIY their own phone cases using stickers too. Not to mention, changing up that wallpaper and screensaver. Now that's spirit!  

Thanks to our sponsor The Northwest for making it fun for kids to show their team spirit. Check out their site for tons of gifts and gear, including blankets, duffel bags, bedding and more. Oh, and...LET'S GO FLYERS! -K