School colors facts for kids

School colors are special colors that represent a school. They are like a school's uniform, but for the whole school! These colors help everyone know which school you belong to, whether it's your sports team, your club, or just your everyday school spirit. You'll often see these colors on uniforms, flags, and even around the school building.

What Are School Colors?

School colors are usually a set of two or three colors. Sometimes, professional sports teams might use up to four colors. These colors are chosen carefully to make the school stand out.

Common Color Combinations

Many schools pick bright colors like orange, purple, blue, red, and green. These are often paired with colors that look like metals, such as black, brown, gray (or silver), white, or gold.

Sometimes, two bright colors are paired together, like orange and blue, red and green, or blue and yellow. It's also common to see two "metal" colors together, like black and white, or black and gold. Some schools in the United States even use red, white, and blue to show their national pride.

Specific Shades of Colors

Schools often choose very specific shades of colors to make their identity unique. For example, instead of just red, they might use maroon, which is a darker red. Blues can range from light powder blue to dark Prussian blue. Some schools even use two different shades of blue! The color gold can also vary a lot, from a bright yellow to a deeper, more classic old gold.

Black, white, and gray are often used as neutral colors. This is especially true in sports like basketball, where home uniforms are often white. In professional baseball, these neutral colors are often used as trim on uniforms.

How School Colors Are Used

School colors are used in many exciting ways to show school spirit and identity.

Sports Uniforms

Most sports teams have at least two sets of uniforms. One set usually highlights the main school color, and the other highlights the secondary color. For example, in American football, the home team often wears uniforms in their primary color. In basketball, the home team might wear white or a neutral color to avoid confusion with the other team. This helps everyone easily tell the teams apart during a game.

Showing School Spirit

Many groups that support school sports teams, like cheerleaders and marching bands, wear uniforms in their school's colors. This helps them show their support and create a strong, unified look.

Awards and Achievements

At some private schools, "school colors" can also be special awards. These are given to students who achieve great things in a subject or a sport. It's a way to recognize their hard work and dedication. You can learn more about these special awards by looking up Sporting Colours.

Images for kids

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  University of North Alabama showing the school colors of purple and gold

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  Washington University's school colors of red and green

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  Varsity letter awarded in the Arts (Lyre) and Academia (Lamp)

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  Academic colors on a hood

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  Scarf from St Peter's College