Stylish new back-to-school hairstyles (alongside books, pens and a packed lunch) are amongst one of the most important things you can never forget on the first day of school.

So whether you’re preparing your kid’s hair for school (or you are going back to school yourself), we wanted to inspire you with some incredibly trendy, back-to-school hairstyles for natural hair, and some practical hair tips.

These hairstyles are all heatless, low maintenance and great for promoting the health of your hair — enjoy!

1. Box Braids

Image credit: @joyjah

Box braids are a great protective hairstyle for back to school. Just remember not to neglect your hair and scalp. 

You can learn how to wash your child’s box braids with our video tutorial. 

2. Bubble Braids

Image credit: @ponpon_sisters

Braiding not your strongest skill? Don’t worry, just put bubble braids into your little one’s hair!

Editor’s Tip: Our Afrocenchix Essential Accessories Pack) has everything you need to make sure you don’t snag their hair. 

3. Plaits With Beads

Image credit: @gurlstylz_2

Want to upgrade your child’s back-to-school hairstyle? Then why not add beautiful beads? They are fun way to jazz up hairstyle. 

4. Parted Ponytail With Twists

Image credit: @koily_kali

As we mention above, beads are a fun and easy way to elevate any back-to-school hairstyle and here is another simple way to make your child’s updo look even cuter! 

5. Afro Puffs

Image credit: @kelsgorgeous

As one of the easiest and most practical back-to-school hairstyles for kids, afro puffs are a tried-and-tested back-to-school hairstyle favourite. 

Create a middle parting, two puffs and secure with your seamless hairbands (you can these in our Afrocenchix Essential Accessories Pack). Easy peasy!

6. Braids & Twists

Image credit: @baybie_kayyy

Braids are another back-to-school favourite because of their versatility and ability to protect natural hair while still looking great.

But what’s important to remember is that preparation is key. With braids, it’s likely that the hair will be tucked away for a few of weeks, so ensuring it’s in its best condition beforehand is crucial. 

7. High/Low Bun

Image credit: @iambriakay_

Looking for a back-to-school hairstyle that's easy to do when you're running late? This high bun is super simple and a perfect, low-manipulation back-to-school hairstyle. You can even change it up by rocking a low bun every now and again.

8. Wash & Go

Image credit: @naturally_rinnie

There are plenty of back-to-school hairstyles to choose from, but if you want something stylish that requires little to no effort, keep reading!

Wash & Go is arguably the simplest of all afro hairstyles. You’ll want to start out with clean hair (so make sure to use Swish and Swirl).  Then use a microfibre towel to dry yours or your child's hair and grab your Moisture Surge Set. Finally, lock in moisture by following the LOC/LCO method.  

9. Cornrows

Image credit: @Africansbraid

Looking for a protective hairstyle that’ll look and feel great? Cornrows are the answer! 

One of the major benefits of cute cornrows is that once done, they reduce daily hairstyling and maintenance time. 

10. Frohawk

Image source: @Dfinneyphoto @nylah_k

The frohawk hairstyle is not only extremely popular amongst women with natural hair, but it’s also cool and trendy. They look great with any hair length and because of how versatile the look is and there are plenty of different variations you can experiment with. 

11. Twist Out 

Image credit: @kayla_ayanna

Functional, versatile and suitable for any occasion, twist outs make the last of our seven back-to-school hairstyles. 

Considered “timeless”, the twist out look is one that will never go out of style. We love the idea of wearing the twists for 4-5 days then rocking a twist-out to celebrate the end of the week!

4 Simple Back-to-school Hair Care Tips

Not sure where to begin when it comes to your child’s natural hair care? Here are some tips to help you with creating a routine and hairstyles.

 1. Create a Simple Afro Hair Care Routine For Your Child 

When in doubt, keep things simple and the same goes for your child’s hair routine. The approach that Afrocenchix recommends is: cleanse, moisturise, style, repeat (more on that below). 

2. Cleanse Regularly 

When it comes to cleansing, we suggest washing your child’s hair every 7-10 days with a sulphate-free shampoo like Swish. Gently massage their scalp as you wash their hair to help remove any residue from their scalp. 

Once you have finished washing follow up with a rinse out silicone-free conditioner like Swirl. It’s important to have a conditioner with lots of slip so you can use it to help finger detangle your child’s hair.  

Once you’ve washed out the conditioner, squeeze any excess water out of their hair and wrap it with a microfibre towel. This will help dry their hair quickly without the need for heat. Avoid blow drying as it can lead to heat damage. 

3. LOC Moisture In

Curly and coily hair is prone to dryness, which can lead to breakage. To keep dryness and breakage at bay, we suggest using the LOC/LCO method to moisture your hair. Both are acronyms where: L = liquid O = oil and C = cream. You learn how to master the LOC/LCO method with our video tutorial and also, our Moisture Surge Set contains products for all three steps — Sheen, our natural moisturising spray, Seal, our hair oil and Smooth, our moisturising cream.

4. Make Protective Styles Your Friend 

Protective styles are any hairstyles that keep the ends of your hair tucked away. Great examples would be braids or twists or cornrows, which can also be easily carried for a few days or even a few weeks (as long your child’s hair moisturised and their scalp clean). 

Another really good option is a low manipulation hairstyle like a bun or puff. Head to our style page for inspiration and don’t forget to check out our Braid Care Set contains everything you need to keep your child’s hair in top condition while in protective styles. 

More Articles:

Ultimate Guide to Afro Hair Care for Children

How to help your child embrace their afro hair

How to care for your child's afro hair to prevent nits and head lice