Back to school hairstyles and hair accessories


by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

If you've not finished ticking off items off of your back to school essentials list, you might want to add the best hair accessories and back to school hairstyles.

While you might be tempted to just pop your child's hair in a ponytail or bun, as they get bigger they'll want to start showing their personality through different hairstyles and accessories. If your child's school has a school uniform policy, their choice of back to school hairstyle and accessories is a great way of expressing themselves.

So when you're stocking up on the back to school supplies,whether you're looking for bows, hair bands or different styled bobbles, Mother & Baby have round up the best hair accessories for your little ones back to school hairstyles.

What back to school hairstyles can I do?

1. Basic ponytail

Thanks to the likes of Arianna Grande and JoJo Siwa, the classic ponytail is an all round favourite hairstyle choice but a super simple one to do too. Turning those extremely cute pigtails into something a little more exciting, you can braid your childs hair but leave the bobbled section loose. It's an easy look to create and you can finish it off with a pair of bows!

See more here with Easy Toddler Hairstyles.

2. Pulled across braid

A simple back to school hairstyle that shows a little bit of character. You could even double up the braid from the top and side of their head. Either use a colourful scrunchie or add a bow to complete the look.

See more at The Hairstyle Mumma.

3. Single braid

You need a lot of little bobbles for this back to school hairstyle! It's easy to create, to start you just need two ponytails, pull the bottom one through the back of the bobble and repeat! You can even use colourful bobbles for a more quirky look.

4. Front Cornrows with a Bun

Wearing a bun on black hair can be highly beneficial, offering both practical and protective advantages. A bun keeps the ends of the hair tucked away, reducing exposure to friction, which can lead to split ends and breakage. This is particularly important for Black hair, which can be more delicate and prone to damage.

5. Two Fishbone Cornrow Braids

Cornrows are a popular protective hairstyle that offers several benefits for hair health, particularly for those with textured or curly hair. Cornrows reduce the need for daily styling, which minimizes breakage and mechanical damage caused by combing, brushing, and other styling tools. It can last for several weeks with proper care, reducing the need for frequent washing and styling.

6. Braided Singles with Beads

Single plaits, also known as individual braids, box braids, or single braids, are a popular hairstyle for Black hair due to their numerous benefits. Single plaits keep the hair organized and protected, reducing the risk of breakage from friction, tangling, and manipulation. By containing each section of hair, they help prevent split ends and other forms of damage.

7. Afro hair half up half down braided style

Tying up afro hair can offer a variety of benefits, particularly for maintaining the health and manageability of naturally textured hair. When afro hair is tied up, it can help retain moisture by reducing exposure to the air, which can dry out the hair. This is especially beneficial when combined with moisturizing products like leave-in conditioners or oils.

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories Tangle Teezer
Price: £23.65
Alternative retailers
Ulta$11.99View offer

Perhaps the worst battle for parents in the morning is the dreaded brushing of their hair, especially if their hair tangles easily. However, with the Tangle Teezer, it should help take the tears out of those knots, and because it is also mini-sized, your child can even brush their own hair.

One review said: "Ordered this for 3 year old daughter as brushing her hair is a nightmare because of knots and tangles and I didn't even brush gently with this and she didn't feel a thing. She actually enjoyed it. Slightly easier on wet hair and it is quite small in size."

Pros

  • Ideal for wet or dry hair
  • No pulling or tugging

Cons

  • Have to put the brush down after brushing hair into a ponytail
Dimensions:10 x 4.5 x 6cm
  • Mini-size
  • Two-tiered teeth design

Best for braided plaits

Adding beads to plaits (braids) offers several benefits, both practical and aesthetic. If you want your little ones hair to last longer and look pretty, then these beads help to secure the ends of the plaits, reducing the risk of unraveling and protecting the hair from split ends and breakage. This is particularly useful for keeping the braids neat and intact for longer periods.

One mum review said: "Very happy with this purchase! The beads are gorgeous, and the bands are nice and strong aswell. Also, the tools included are very helpful."

Pros

  • The pony beads kit for braids includes 200pcs 6x10mm colorful hair beads, 200pcs elastic rubber bands, 5pcs quick beader
  • Elastic bands are made of soft rubber with high elasticity

Cons

  • The hair bands are quite sensitive

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories black bobbles

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories Zulfaye Hair Bobbles
Price: £7.29

Ideal for little man buns or ponytails, these Zulfaye Hair Bobbles are ideal for thick or long hair. They're snag free and don't cause damage to hair either. The black bobbles come in a pack of 40.

One review said: "Chose these based on the reviews and am very pleases. Buying hair bands on Amazon seems very random, I didn’t fancy a pack of 100, just wanted some good ones. Never heard of this brand before. It’s actually very good. Perfect stretchiness to hold up a pony tail or bun without feeling like you’re pulling for dear life. Really comfy to wear, nice colours."

Pros

  • Pack of 40
  • Snag free

Cons

  • Not as colourful as some options
  • 40 x black hair bobbles

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories set

This adorable assortment of hair accessories is ideal for children with red school uniform. The My School Hair Set Red matches red uniform perfectly, and comes with 16 assorted hair accessories that your child can choose from.

Pros

  • 16 assorted hair accessories
  • Come in a presented satchel box

Cons

  • No onsite reviews
  • 2 x glitter star snap clips
  • 2 x plain snap clips
  • 2 x spotty snap clips
  • 2 x large plain grosgrain bow clips
  • 2 x small gingham bow clips
  • 2 x plain elastic hair bobbles
  • 2 x spotty bow elastic hair bobbles
  • 2 x plain bow elastic hair bobbles

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories curl control

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste
Price: £10.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$11.95View offer

Sometimes you just need a bit of product to keep every hair in place and make it a bit easier to style. This Curls Blueberry Bliss Curl Control Paste is ideal for textured or curly hair to make styling a lot easier.

One review said: "Very nice product, not very strong hold but great for styling. Using it for my 6 years old daughter. Lovely smell."

Pros

  • Tames straggles from textured or curly hair
  • Smells incredible

Cons

  • Some mentioned it doesn't hold all day for really curly hair
Volume:120ml
  • Adds shine
  • Tames unruly edges

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories bobbles

In need of some thicker bobbles? This set of 200Pcs Hair Ties comes in just about every colour you can think of, as well as some more natural toned colours to match their hair colour. You also get 15mini hair clips in this bundle too, so you can match the clips and bobbles.

One review said: "Purchased for daughter’s everyday hair needs, good amount provided. Only downside, is they’re not a big enough stretch for thick hair. Otherwise good buy."

Pros

  • Colourful selection
  • Matching hair clips

Cons

  • May not be suited to thick hair
  • 15 x hair clips
  • 200 x bobbles

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories tail combs

Sectioning their hair with your fingers when they're like a moving target can be tricky, so using a Tail Comb like this will make it much easier.

One review said: "Exactly what I wanted. My previous comb who was made of hard plastic broke. I like that those are made of “soft” plastic but still hard enough to part my 4c hair. Really like that they come in a pack of three."

Pros

  • Three tail combs
  • Ideal for thick or afro hair

Cons

  • Some mentioned the combs can bend slightly
Dimensions:21 x 2.9 x 1.1cm
  • 3 x tail combs

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories headband set

With different colour options, the Small Stuff Kids Hairbands are ideal for little ones just starting or heading back to school. With the option to choose from clips or hairbands, it will give your child much more independence on how they are wanting to style their hair.

One review said: "Hair bands are robust and the smaller size is much better than adult sized hair bands for my 3 year old. Clips don't catch individual hairs like cheaper brands. 'Over the head' band is well made and attractive."

Pros

  • Matches school uniform
  • Different colour options

Cons

  • There's no plain black colour option
  • 3 x pair hair clips
  • 2 x Alice headbands
  • Assortment of bobbles

Best back to school hairstyles and accessories scrunchies

Adding a simple scrunchie can make such a difference to a hairstyle. These Colourful Elastic Velvet Hair Scrunchies are soft and will complete any simple ponytail look. They come in a pack of 40 too!

One review said: "These go round my daughter’s thick hair twice or round a completed bun once so she wears alongside stretchier scrunchies to hold in place and these are mostly for decoration. Great selection of colours so I’m pleased for the price."

Pros

  • Colourful selection
  • Velvety soft

Cons

  • Might need to use a bobble first for thicker hair
  • 40 x coloured scrunchies

See more at School Hair Don't Care.

Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.

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