Beautiful Hairstyles for Girl Toddlers

The day your toddler’s hair grows long enough to be put into a ponytail or pinned back from her eyes is a bit of a milestone. Now it’s time to have fun with her hairdo! 

From pigtails to french braids, to giant hairbows, there are so many cute ways to style your little girl’s locks. Check out our list of adorable toddler hairstyles for your little princess.

Related: What Color Hair Will My Baby Have?

Ponytail Hairstyles 

Ponytails are quick and easy hairstyles that get your little one’s hair out of her eyes so she can play. All you need is a hair tie. Dress a ponytail up with hair accessories like a headband or a cute hair clip. 

Tiny Top Pony

 Grab the hair that falls down into your daughter’s eyes and tie it up on top. It’s both cute and functional. 

High Ponytail

 Comb or brush the hair straight back from the hairline to create a high ponytail. If you want, add a scrunchie or a headband.

Half Up/ Half Down

For longer hair, medium-length or longer, put the hair from the top section into a ponytail or clip it back. This creates a beautiful style, but beware that it can get tangled after a day of toddler fun. 

Side Ponytail

Throw it back to the ‘80s with a side pony. Your daughter’s hair needs to be a bit longer for this one, so all the hair reaches the hair tie. This style is cute and fun, and you don’t have to worry about whether it’s centered. 

Braided Ponytail

To polish up the look, simply braid a ponytail and fasten the end with another hair tie. 

To create a braid, separate her hair into three sections. Cross the left strand over the middle strand. Then cross the right strand over the middle strand. Continue alternating between crossing the left strand and the right strand over the middle strand until you have braided the whole ponytail.

Related: A White Parent’s Guide to Doing Black Girl Hair

Pigtail Hairstyles 

Mini Pigtails

Part your little one’s hair in the center and put the hair that falls into their eyes up in two small ponytails using tiny hair ties.

Classic Pigtails

Part your daughter’s hair in the center and then take a comb to continue the part all the way down the nape of their neck, separating the hair into two symmetrical sections (and if they aren’t perfect, just keep going!).

Grab one section and loosely tie it up so you don’t lose your nice middle part. Then brush and neatly tie up the other. Last, undo the section you loosely tied up and brush it as well, tying it up on the other side. They will look cute even if they aren’t perfectly even.

Braided Pigtails

There are many adorable ways to braid pigtails. You can:

• Create two sections and pin one back. Then braid the other section by separating it into three strands and following the steps of left over the middle, right over the middle.
• Create classic pigtails and then braid each ponytail.
• French braid the pigtails.*
• Dutch braid the pigtails.*

*Our section on braided hairstyles has detailed instructions on how to create these styles.

Braided Hairstyles for Toddlers with Long Hair

Braids follow a general pattern of separating the hair into three sections, and then alternating between crossing hair from the left over the middle and crossing hair from the right over the middle. There are many beautiful variations to try.

Standard Braid

Separate the hair into three sections. Holding each section apart, cross the left section over the middle section. This section is now in the middle. Now take the section on the right and cross it over this middle section. Now the right section has become the middle section. Repeat until there is not enough hair left to braid and then tie it off.

You can also make a ponytail first, and then braid it. See ponytails above for more details on this style.

French Braid

Start by creating a mini-ponytail (see ponytails above for detailed instructions. Then take two small sections from either side and begin braiding. Each time you take a section from the left or right, take a little bit more hair into it. It takes some practice to figure out just how much hair to add each time, but the result is simply gorgeous. This is a good hairstyle for fine hair.

Dutch Braid

This is just like a French braid with one key difference. Instead of crossing the sections of hair over the middle, cross them under the middle. The result is a more structured braid. This style may work better for thicker or puffier hair.

Cornrows

Part the hair into rows, pinning it into small sections. Unpinning one section at a time, braid the hair down the row, adding small bits of hair like you would in a French braid.

Other Cute Toddler Girl Hairstyles 

Topknot

Pull the hair into a high ponytail. This can be all the hair or just the top section. The last time you pull the hair through the hair tie, stop a little before the end comes through.

Messy Bun

This easy hairstyle looks good no matter what because it’s meant to appear a little haphazard. It’s done like a top knot, but without worrying about brushing the hair back or pulling it through perfectly.

Does My Toddler Girl Need a Haircut? 

Cutting your little girl’s hair might make it more manageable but it’s totally up to you. You can take her to the barber shop or just trim it yourself at home. Cutting bangs are a good way to keep hair out of her eyes and then you don’t have to worry about pinning it back or tying it up each day. Just remember that bangs require upkeep.

Want more hairstyles for you and your little one? 4 Trendy Summer Hairstyles for Moms and Kids