Skip to main content

NewFolks may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

4 easy kid hairstyles your 5-year-old daughter will love for summer

Is there anything sweeter than your little girl’s smile on a hot summer day, gorgeous locks flowing around her face and sticking to her red cheeks? What is it about summertime that brings out the best in us all? There is something exciting, joyful, and precious about the sweet and short months of summer. There is also heat — something most parents struggle to balance with their child’s sometimes endless energy.

If your little girl is an active one, you may be considering a new hairstyle for her to keep cool and stylish all summer long. New and fun styles are always popping up, with twists and spins put on tried-and-true traditional styles to make them fresh and exciting. We’ve searched for, asked around, and taken a few polls on which ones will suit the largest groups of parents, while keeping in mind that they need to be easy and quick. No kid enjoys sitting through hours of hairdos and styling sessions.

Photo Art Lucas/shutterstock

The Elsa look

If your little girl is a lover of the Frozen movies and loves to sing Idina Menzel’s classic “Let It Go,” then look no further than a classy, stylish, and updated fishtail braid for their perfect Elsa-fied ensemble. This easy-as-pie ‘do keeps your princess’ hair out of her face during hot and steamy summer days. It can be done with wet or dry hair and leaves behind gorgeous crimps and curls when let down at the end of the day.

This style is a perfect pairing for days spent outdoors, at the pool, or for virtually any occasion. Turn it up a notch and add artificial flowers, tiny bows, pearled barrettes, or any small accessory to take this style from casual to sophisticated. Upgraded fishtail braids are perfect for dinners out, photo ops while on vacation, or family gatherings.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The future of the galaxy is feminine

From princesses to lightsabers, quick and easy hairstyles know no bounds when it comes to little girls. In a galaxy far, far away lies the story of Star Wars‘ Rey, a lost Jedi who doesn’t know the powers she possesses. The story of Rey and how she came to know her real fate and history is a wonderful one for young girls to look up to and reflect on, applying those same situations in some of their own personal lives. And for a little girl, desperately desiring to be the next Jedi wonder, a spin on Rey’s epic hairstyle is the perfect way for them to practice their skills while battling the dark side of the Force.

In this tutorial, the author shows step-by-step instructions on how to achieve Rey’s signature “bun-hawk” look, breaking it down into manageable steps, none of which are too difficult to accomplish. It requires brushing the hair, sectioning it into four horizontal sections, placing each section into a bun, and wrapping each section to cover the needed elastic. Requiring only three to four items (depending on your child’s hair length), it couldn’t be easier to do good and battle evil while wielding a wicked hairstyle.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

High buns for the dancers and doers

Sometimes referred to as ballerina buns, high buns are great and super-simple hairstyles parents can implement for their little girls during busy and hot summer days. Requiring little more than an elastic holder and a few bobby pins, this style can be softened by pulling or loosening the hair around your child’s face, thus loosening the look and relieving tension from their scalp and hairline.

This easy, go-to style is great for active kids in sports and other extracurricular activities while also looking great in photos, and it can be dressed up for more stylish events. It can be enhanced with the use of a donut hair bun maker.

Kati Kemppainen/shutterstock

The classic Heidi look

If you happened to have read any Heidi books as a child, then you may remember the little blond girl on the front cover, sporting two Dutch braids plaited down her back. She experienced thrills and disasters while living with her grandfather in the Swiss Alps. These braids, sometimes mistaken for French braids, lie on top of the hair instead of within or underneath it.

Dutch braids require very little skill to pull off, as the motions to complete this style of braid are the exact opposite of the more commonly used French style. These braids are very forgiving and are often more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time, making them great options for younger girls with more sensitive scalps. These braids look beautiful in the hair and leave behind beautiful barrel-style curls afterward.

If you are looking for cute, easy-to-do, easy-to-maintain, and engaging hairstyles for your little girl this summer, then we highly suggest you give some of these looks a go. These styles are diverse and multiuse-friendly, making them great options for outdoor playdates or a quick dinner while running errands. Additionally, these looks can be dressed up or down pretty easily, depending on the situation. Many can be enhanced with the addition of hair accessories, and all can be completed in less than 15 minutes, making them ideal for busy families on the go.

Editors' Recommendations

Emily Pidgeon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily's work has appeared in the Tube City Almanac, Tube City Online and our Affinity Sites. When she's not writing, she is…
If you love Disney, these are the motivational quotes to complete your nursery decor
Decorating the nursery or redoing a bedroom? These motivational quotes for kids will fit right in
A crib with nursery decor hanging above it

Decorating a nursery for the first time, redoing a kid's room with a new theme, or wanting art added to your child's bedroom? Motivational quotes are always the way to go. If you're stuck with where to pull inspiration from, how about your kiddo's favorite Disney characters? Disney-loving families will find the perfect motivational quotes for kids to help keep their focus on the positive side of things while leaning on them as room decor.
To remind your child it's all about their attitude
A child is never too young to learn how to work out a problem on their own, and it's never too early to help them have a positive attitude when working through an issue. These Disney characters have the right attitude.
"The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem." -- Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
"The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work." -- Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)
"You control your destiny -- you don’t need magic to do it. And there are no magical shortcuts to solving your problems." -- Merida (Brave)
To remind your kid they are the only one of them out there
We all think our child is the most precious creature alive. And while we are all correct, hang one of these quotes in their nursery or bedroom to remind them daily.
"Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it." -- Elastigirl (The Incredibles)
"I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then." -- Alice (Alice in Wonderland)

To remind them that taking a risk is always worth it
From the first step to the first day of school to the first activity they want to sign up for, every risk your child takes is worth it. Most children love risk-taking anyway, so foster that fearlessness by hanging these quotes up around their room.

Read more
Almost half of kids ages 1 to 5 don’t eat a daily veggie (and one-third don’t eat fruit)
CDC report shows kids aren't eating enough fruits and vegetables
Toddler refusing to eat healthy lunch/snack of fruit and drink her milk

According to a new report by the CDC, a surprising number of children in the U.S. are missing fruits and vegetables from their daily diet. The report comes from data compiled from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, where the parents of 18,386 children were asked to report on how often their children ate fruits and vegetables. The results were both a shocking and eye-opening look at the diet of young children in America.
The results
The report found that approximately one in three children aren't eating fruit daily, while almost 50% of children aren't eating vegetables daily. The CDC recommends that children consume at least one cup of fruits and vegetables a day to ensure proper nutrition, with that number increasing as they get older. Proper nutrition is an important step in helping children grow and develop, as well as to create healthy eating habits as they get older and make their own nutritional decisions.

The rise of sugary drinks
Whether it's juice, soda, yogurt drinks, or even flavored water, children are drinking sugar more now than ever before. The report found that 57% of children drank a sugar-sweetened beverage at least once in the week prior to the survey.

Read more
Your favorite childhood movies will be your kid’s favorite, too
Want to rewatch your beloved childhood movies? Grab your kid and revisit these nostalgic films
A family watches TV on a couch

We all have a soft spot in our hearts for the movies we were raised on. We grew up on those films and they helped shape the adult version of ourselves more than we might want to admit. These are the childhood movies that you have to watch with your little human that will show them the value of family and friendship and that kindness is always the right choice.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Read more