Curly Braided Hairstyles for School Girls: 12 Quick Morning Styles

The bus leaves in twenty minutes, the curls are still tangled from sleep, and you need something that holds until the last bell. That is the whole point of curly braided hairstyles for school girls: braids keep curls out of the face in class, survive gym and recess, and still look neat at pickup. These curly braided hairstyles for school girls are twelve quick braids, every one under ten minutes, and every one of the twelve is a braid, not a puff, not a wash and go, and not a plain ponytail with no braid in it.

The 12 styles below are grouped by the morning you have: four under 5 minutes for the days the bus is already coming, four that stay put all day through gym and recess, and four a little fancier for picture day and assemblies. Every one is loose and gentle, none of them pulls tight, and none of them needs a salon visit or a long sit still. All you need is a brush, a spray bottle, and a few soft elastics.

How to Make School Braids Last All Day

Before the styles, the method, because a braid that falls apart by lunch is worse than no braid at all. Start on lightly damp curls, never on dry tangled curls, because dry curls snag and hurt, and a braid built on tangles slips out by mid morning. Spray the curls with a mist of water, work a little curl cream through the lengths, and comb from the ends up with a wide tooth comb before you braid. For the styles in the middle group, braid the night before, so the morning is only a quick check and a smoothing of the edges with your palms. Keep one small school kit by the mirror, so hair time never turns into a hunt for supplies: a spray bottle of water, a bottle of detangler, a wide tooth comb for wet hair only, soft snag free elastics, bobby pins, one ribbon, and one bow. And never pull tight. A tight braid hurts, and it slips by lunch, because the hair pulls itself loose. The same loose and quick logic works for grown ups too, and our 10 curly braided hairstyles for busy moms uses it for mornings when you have only a few minutes for yourself.

Under 5 Minutes, Before the Bus

These four are the fastest in the list, made for mornings when the school bus is coming and patience is short. Each one takes 4 to 5 minutes, and each one keeps the front neat while the curls stay free. For more quick school morning ideas, our 12 easy hairstyles for long curly hair for school has styles that work for older girls too.

1. Half French Braid with Curls Down

One French braid from the hairline to the crown only, tied off, with the rest of the curls worn down. Start at the front hairline and French braid back along the centre part, adding small sections as you go, then stop at the crown, tie it off with a soft elastic, and let the rest of the curls fall free. This is French only to the crown, then tied, the rest of the curls stay down, not a full French braid to the ends, which is what makes it a five minute style instead of a ten minute one. It takes about 5 minutes, and it is the best first braid to learn, because the French part is short and the curls below hide any unevenness.

2. Classic Back Braid with a Ribbon

One plain three strand braid straight down the back, finished with a ribbon tied at the end. Brush the curls back, gather them at the nape, and braid straight down in a simple three strand braid, then tie the end with a ribbon. This one goes straight down the back, not swept to one side, which is what makes it the neatest style on this list for the classroom. It takes about 4 minutes. The ribbon makes it look finished without any extra work, and you can match it to the school uniform.

3. Zigzag Part Braids

Two plain three strand braids with a zigzag centre part. Part the hair down the middle in a zigzag, using the end of a comb to draw the line, then braid each side in a simple three strand braid and tie the ends. These are plain three strand braids, not Dutch or French, the zigzag part is the style, no feed in braiding, which is why they take only 5 minutes. The zigzag part does all the work, and the braids themselves are the easiest braids there are. It takes about 5 minutes, and it holds the front neat all morning.

4. Side Swept Front Braid

One small braid along the hairline, swept to the side and pinned behind the ear, the rest of the curls worn down. Take a small section at the front hairline, braid it in three or four crosses along the hairline toward one side, and pin it behind the ear with a bobby pin. This is one braid swept to the side along the hairline, not down the centre part and not ear to ear, which is what makes it different from a full front braid. It takes about 4 minutes, and it is perfect for a girl who wants one pretty braid and nothing more.

Stays Put All Day, Gym and Recess Included

These four are built to survive PE, running, and rolling around, and still look neat at pickup. Each one takes 5 to 8 minutes, and each one holds because the braids are anchored well, not because they are pulled tight. Braid these the night before when you can, and the morning is only a quick refresh. The same 10 minute logic works for grown ups, and our 10 curly braided hairstyles for busy moms uses it for busy mornings.

5. Dutch Pigtails with Curly Ends

Two Dutch braids, one per side, that stop at the nape, with the curly ends left loose. Part the hair down the middle, then Dutch braid each side from the front hairline to the nape, crossing the strands under each other as you go, and tie each braid off at the nape, leaving the last few inches of curl loose. Dutch crosses under, and the braids stop at the nape so the curly ends bounce free, not braided to the ends, which is what keeps this one soft instead of stiff. It takes about 8 minutes, and it is the best style on this list for sports day, because nothing hangs loose to catch on anything.

6. Two Braids into a Half Up Ponytail

Two small braids from the temples, joined into a half up ponytail, the rest of the curls down. Braid a small section from each temple, bring the two braids to the back of the head, and tie them together into a half up ponytail, leaving the bottom curls free. The trick is the join: two braids meet in a half up ponytail, not one braid pinned across and not a half up braid, which is what sets this one apart from a single half up style. It takes about 6 minutes, and the ponytail keeps the front out of the face while the curls below stay free and soft.

7. One Side Braided, One Side Down

One side of the hair braided, the other side left down in curls. Part the hair to one side, braid the smaller side from the temple to the nape, and tie it off, leaving the bigger side down in loose curls. Here only one side is braided, the other side stays down in curls, not all the hair swept to one side, which is what makes this one different from a single side braid that takes all the hair. It takes about 5 minutes, and it is the quickest way to make a school morning look deliberate.

8. Low Braided Ponytail with Curly Ends

A low ponytail tied first, only the top half of the tail braided, the curly ends left free. Gather all the curls into a low ponytail and tie it with a soft elastic, then braid the top half of the tail in a simple three strand braid and tie it off, leaving the last few inches of curl loose. This one is low, and only the top of the tail is braided, the curly ends stay free, not braided to the end, which makes it far easier than braiding loose hair on a wriggly child, and different from a ponytail braided all the way down. It takes about 6 minutes, and it survives the bus ride home without slipping.

Picture Day and Assemblies

These four are a little fancier, for the school photo, an assembly, or a class party, and they still take under 10 minutes. Keep the braids loose and soft, because a relaxed child photographs better than a child who is wincing. Do them on lightly damp curls with a little curl cream, and smooth the edges with your palms before she leaves.

9. French Braid into a Low Braided Bun

One French braid straight down the back, wrapped into a neat low bun. French braid from the front hairline straight down the back to the nape, then keep braiding the tail and wrap it into a neat low bun, pinning it in place. This is one French braid straight down the back, wrapped into a neat low bun, not a side braid and not a messy bun, which is what makes it photo ready. It takes about 9 minutes, the longest on this list, and it is worth it on picture day, because the bun holds its shape from the first bell to the last.

10. Front Braids into a High Puff

Two simple front braids feeding into a high pineapple puff. Braid a small section from each temple in a simple three strand braid, bring the two braids up to the crown, and gather them with the rest of the curls into a high puff. These are two simple front braids, not cornrows, into a high puff, which is what sets this one apart from cornrow styles that take far longer. It takes about 7 minutes, and the puff keeps the curls up and out of the face for the whole school day.

11. Double Braid into One (Braided Braid)

Two thin braids braided together with a third section into one thicker braid down the back. Braid two thin three strand braids side by side, then braid those two braids together with a third section of loose curls into one thicker braid down the back, and tie the end. This is two braids braided into one, not a four or five strand braid, which is what makes it the most unusual style on this list. It takes about 8 minutes, and it looks far fancier than the effort suggests, which makes it a good one for assemblies.

12. Three Mini Braids into a Low Ponytail

Three tiny braids from the front, gathered into a low ponytail, the rest of the curls down. Braid three tiny sections from the front hairline, bring the three braids to the back of the head, and gather them with the rest of the curls into a low ponytail. These are three tiny braids gathered into a low ponytail, not one big braid and not pinned back, which is what sets this one apart from a single front braid. It takes about 8 minutes, and the three little braids across the front make the whole style look finished.

How to Keep School Braids Gentle

Braids stay gentle when you protect them at night and take them out with care. Before bed, undo the day braids and put the curls in one loose braid, so the hair does not knot overnight. A satin pillowcase helps too, because cotton dries curls and roughs up the edges. Use soft snag free elastics only, never tight bands, and never use a rubber band on a child. In the morning, take braids out gently with a little detangler, and comb from the ends up. If your child says a braid hurts, stop. Loosen it or take it out and try a looser one. A braid that hurts is too tight, and no style is worth tears. These are day styles, so take them out at night and let the curls rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I braid my daughter’s hair fast on a school morning?

Pick a Group A style and braid on lightly damp curls, because damp curls are easier to part and braid than dry ones. Keep the kit by the mirror, so you are not hunting for elastics, and braid the night before when the morning is tight. A quick braid done happily beats a perfect braid done in tears.

What do I do if the braid falls apart by lunch?

The braid was probably too loose at the start, or built on dry tangled curls. Braid on lightly damp curls with a little curl cream, keep the tension even, and tie the ends with a soft elastic, not a loose one. For gym days, pick a Group B style, because those are built to survive PE and recess. A small spray bottle in the school bag lets her smooth the edges herself at lunch.

Can these styles work on short hair?

Yes, most of them. The half French braid, the side swept front braid, and the three mini braids need only a short length. The pigtails and the low ponytail need enough length to tie, so on very short hair, stop the braid early and pin the tail under. For the youngest school girls, keep it to one or two small braids and stop the moment your child says no.

What if my daughter says a braid hurts?

Take it out right away. A braid should never hurt. Undo it gently with a little detangler, check the hairline for redness or pulling, and redo the style looser, with less tension at the front. If the same style keeps hurting, switch to a looser one, like the classic back braid, which barely pulls at all.

Which styles survive PE and sports day?

The Group B styles are the ones to pick: Dutch pigtails with curly ends, two braids into a half up ponytail, one side braided with one side down, and the low braided ponytail with curly ends. They hold because the braids are anchored well, not because they are pulled tight, and the curly ends stay free instead of catching on anything. Braid them the night before, and they will still be neat at pickup.

Start Monday with One Braid

Pick five for the week, one per day, and repeat the favourites the next week. Start Monday with the classic back braid, because it is the fastest, then try a Group B style on gym day, and save a Group C style for picture day. If the morning goes smoothly once, it will go smoothly again, because your child will remember that hair time did not hurt. And if school mornings need more ideas, our 12 easy hairstyles for long curly hair for school has more quick ideas for older girls, while our 10 curly braided hairstyles for busy moms and our 7 easy curly braids for busy moms have the same quick logic for your own hair. For the full map of braids, our 15 braided hairstyles for curly hair covers everything from five minute morning braids to protective styles.