Most hairstyle ideas for school assume she has hair down to her shoulder blades. Scroll any kids’ hair board and it is all long French braids and swinging ponytails. If your daughter has a bob, a lob, or a pixie, that leaves you with a brush, a headband, and a feeling that short hair only gets one look.
That is not true. Short hair is often easier to style, because there is less to tangle and less to hold. The trick is working with the length she has instead of fighting for a ponytail that will not stay in.
The school hairstyles for short hair below are built for real mornings. Most take five to ten minutes. Many use the top section only, which is where short hair falls in her eyes during math. And every one is planned to survive gym class, a hood pulled up at recess, and a backpack strap rubbing her neck.
Pick a few she likes, practice once on a weekend, and you will have a full rotation ready for the school week.
1. Twisted Front Section Pinned With Snap Clips
The front section is the part of a bob that drives kids crazy. It slides forward when she leans over a worksheet and ends up tucked behind her ear all day.
- Take a two finger wide section from the part to the temple.
- Twist it back toward the ear, adding a little hair as you go.
- Stop just behind the temple and lock it with two snap clips in an X.
Snap clips grip short hair better than bobby pins because they press flat against the scalp.
Quick tip: mist the section with water first. A dry twist on fine hair unravels before the bell.
2. Half Up Mini Top Knot
Half up styles work on short hair because they only need the top layer, which is always the longest part of a layered bob.
Gather the hair from the temples back to the crown. Twist it into a small ponytail, then wrap the tail around its base and secure it with a second elastic. On very short hair the knot will be tiny. That is fine. It still keeps everything off her face.
For older girls who want something less babyish, pull the knot loose with your fingertips so it looks a little messy.
Works best on bobs that touch the chin or longer.
3. Tiny Pigtail Stubs With Bows
Will two pigtails work on a jaw length bob? Yes, as long as you set them low. High pigtails pull too much hair from the back and pop out by lunch.
- Part straight down the middle with a comb tail.
- Gather each side just behind the ear.
- Use a small no-snag elastic and wrap it three times.
- Tie a small bow over the elastic.
The ends will only be an inch or two long. That little tuft is the cute part.
Quick tip: let the shortest nape hairs hang free. Forcing them in pulls on her scalp all day.
4. Braided Headband Along the Hairline
Picture day, a class concert, or just a Monday. A braided headband reads as dressy without any extra fuss.
Section off a two inch strip along the front hairline, from one ear to the other. Clip the rest of the hair back. Start a Dutch braid behind one ear, adding only from the front strip, and work across the top. When you reach the other ear, finish with a regular braid and tuck the tail under the hair with a bobby pin.
It also hides awkward bangs that are halfway grown out.
Once it is in, she will not need to touch her hair until bath time.
5. Criss Cross Bobby Pin Pattern
Even a pixie has room for this one. Middle schoolers who say bows are for little kids usually like it.
Comb the hair on the heavier side of her part back toward the ear. Slide one bobby pin in at a slant, then cross a second one over it to make an X. Repeat two or three times in a straight line.
Pick pins with a bit of color. Matte pastels, gold, or ones dipped in glitter look like a choice, not like you ran out of clips.
Small warning: pins with the rubber tips worn off can scratch, so toss old ones.
6. Half Up Mini Space Buns
Most kids want space buns because they look like cartoon characters. On a bob, the full version is impossible. The half up version is easy.
- Part down the center from the forehead to the crown.
- Take only the top section on each side, from the temple up.
- Make two small ponytails, twist each one tight, and coil it into a bun.
- Wrap a small elastic around each bun.
Keep the buns close to the front of her head. Set too far back, they get squashed every time she leans on a chair.
Best for chin length and longer.
7. Mini Bubble Half Up Ponytail
A bubble ponytail is usually a long hair style, but it works on a bob if you build it from the top layer down.
- Make a half up ponytail at the crown.
- Add a clear elastic about one inch down.
- Pull the hair between the elastics outward to puff it.
- Repeat until you run out of hair, usually two or three bubbles.
Every section is locked by its own elastic, so it handles a full day of turning around in her chair to talk to her friends.
Fine hair? Rub a little dry shampoo between your fingers before you puff each bubble.
8. Waterfall Twist Around the Back of a Bob
This one looks hard and is not. It is two strands twisted around each other, with a new piece of hair dropped through each time.
Start at her temple with two small pieces. Cross the top piece over the bottom one. Drop the bottom piece, pick up a new one from below, and twist again. Work around the back of her head and pin it on the opposite side.
The style needs a lob that reaches near the shoulders. On a chin length bob, there is not enough hair to drop through.
Keep each twisted piece no thicker than a pencil so the pattern shows on short hair.
Hold the finished twist with two crossed bobby pins behind the far ear.
Practice on a weekend while she watches a show, not on a school morning.
Starting low near the ear, where the hair is too short to wrap around.
Twisting freshly washed slippery hair without a little water or mousse.
Pulling the twist tight against her scalp, which makes it ache by noon.
9. Side Dutch Braid Tucked Behind the Ear
Gym day is the real test for short hair. Anything loose ends up stuck to her forehead after laps.
Make a deep side part. On the heavier side, braid a small Dutch braid along the part, adding hair from the hairline only. Keep it angled down toward the ear. Once you pass the temple, finish with a regular braid, then tuck the end behind her ear and pin it flat.
The braid keeps the hair that falls forward pinned for good.
Quick tip: braid toward the back of the ear, not over it, so it does not dig in when she wears glasses.
10. Stacked Mini Ponytails Down the Part
Kids who love color go wild for this style. It also happens to be one of the longest lasting looks for slippery short hair.
Make a small square section at the front hairline and tie it with a mini elastic. Make a second square right behind it. Pull the first tail into the second ponytail, then tie it. Keep going back to the crown. Three or four rows is plenty.
Bright elastics make it playful. Clear ones make it look grown up.
Do it on clean dry hair. Use blunt tip scissors to snip the elastics out at night, because pulling them out tangles everything.
11. Knotted Scarf Headband
Running ten minutes late? Grab a cotton bandana.
Fold it into a long strip about two inches wide. Slide it under her hair at the nape, bring both ends up over the top, and tie a small double knot just off center. Tuck the tails under the band.
Cotton grips better than satin, so it stays put. A plastic headband can give some kids a headache behind the ears. A soft scarf usually does not.
Good for messy second day hair, too. Nobody will notice the bedhead underneath.
12. Tucked Back Bob With a Mini Claw Clip
Tweens and middle schoolers usually want this style. It is quick enough to redo in the school bathroom.
- Tuck both sides behind her ears.
- Gather a small section from the crown.
- Twist it once and clip it with a mini claw clip, teeth pointing down.
The clip should be small, about one to two inches. A big one will not close on short hair and will slide out.
Watch out: check that the clip sits above where her backpack or chair back would press. A clip at the nape digs in every time she leans back.
13. Pinned Back Bangs Pouf
Growing out bangs is the worst. They are too short to tuck behind an ear and too long to see through.
Gather the bangs and twist them back once. Push the twist forward a little so it lifts into a soft pouf. Pin it with two crossed bobby pins about an inch behind the hairline. A tiny bit of hairspray on the twist stops it from sliding forward by second period.
Here is a quick guide to which clip works for each short length:
14. Sleek Side Part With Pearl Snap Clips
A pixie does not leave much to style, so the polish comes from the part and one good accessory.
- Wet a comb and draw a deep side part.
- Brush the top section smooth toward the heavier side.
- Press a pea sized dab of kid safe styling cream through the top only.
- Clip two pearl snap clips just above the ear, one slightly higher than the other.
It takes about three minutes and looks put together for a field trip or an assembly. The cream keeps the top from puffing up after she pulls a sweater over her head.
15. Half Up Ribbon Bow on a Chin Length Bob
The simplest style on the list, and the one most little girls will ask for again.
Brush the top section from the temples back and tie it with a small elastic at the crown. Wrap a twelve inch length of ribbon around the elastic and tie a bow. Trim the ends at an angle so they do not fray in the wash.
Velvet ribbon grips short hair better than satin, which slips off fine strands. Keep a few colors in a jar by the door so she can match her outfit.
Sweet for kindergarten, and done in under two minutes.
Short Hair, Plenty of Options
A bob or a pixie gives you more choices than most people think. Clips, twists, tiny ponytails, and small braids all work, and short hair usually styles faster than long hair ever will.
Start with two or three that match her length. A chin length bob does well with half up styles and pigtail stubs. A lob can handle twists and claw clips. A pixie looks great with crossed pins or a sleek part.
Let her choose the clip or the bow. Kids who picked the look themselves tend to leave it alone during class.
Save these school hairstyles for short hair to your Pinterest board so the next rushed school morning is a little easier.