13 Fun & Easy Halloween Hairstyles for Kids (That Take Under 15 Minutes)
It’s Halloween morning, your kid is halfway into their costume, bouncing off the walls, and somewhere between finding matching socks and packing lunch, you remembered you wanted to do something fun with their hair.
Not an intricate salon updo that takes forty-five minutes and ends in a full-blown meltdown. Just something festive, sturdy enough to survive school parades and trick-or-treating, and completely tear-free when bath time rolls around.
Honestly, that’s exactly what this list delivers. No professional braiding wizardry, no scalp-tugging tension, and nothing requiring harsh chemicals.
Every single one of these 13 Halloween hairstyles for kids relies on basic household gear, gentle accessories, or craft-drawer finds, and each style is genuinely doable in under 15 minutes.
🎃 Quick Parent Guide
Under 15 Mins Each
Zero Scalp Pulling
1. The Creepy-Crawly Spider Buns
- Best suited for: Chin-length hair or longer, straight, wavy, or curly
- Time to style: 8 minutes
- Supplies needed: 2 hair elastics, 4 black craft pipe cleaners, mini googly eyes
- Gather hair into two high pigtails and twist each into a relaxed space bun, securing with elastics.
- Cut two pipe cleaners in half to make four legs per side, bending each into an arched spider-leg shape.
- Slide the leg bases directly under the elastic rings and press a light craft googly eye into the center front.
PARENT TIP
Bend the wire tips inward on themselves before tucking them in, that way no sharp point ever touches your child’s scalp during play.
2. Mummy Wrap Pigtails
- Best suited for: Shoulder-length or longer hair
- Time to style: 10 minutes
- Supplies needed: 2 hair ties, white gauze ribbon, blunt scissors
- Separate hair straight down the middle and tie into two standard low or mid-height pigtails.
- Anchor the end of a white gauze strip around the top hair tie.
- Crisscross the gauze loosely down the length of each pigtail and tie off gently at the base.
PARENT TIP
Keep the wrapping loose. A messy, relaxed mummy wrap actually looks more authentic, and it won’t pull tight when they lean back in class.
3. Pumpkin Top Knot
- Best suited for: Medium to long hair, especially great on thick or coily hair
- Time to style: 7 minutes
- Supplies needed: 1 sturdy hair tie, kid-safe washable orange color spray or chalk, 1 green pipe cleaner
- Brush hair upward into a high ponytail and wrap into a rounded donut or messy top bun.
- Shield your child’s face with a towel and lightly mist the bun with washable orange spray.
- Twist the green pipe cleaner into a curved stem and anchor it through the top center of the bun.
PARENT TIP
Washable sprays rinse out easily enough on their own, but a drop of leave-in conditioner applied before styling makes evening wash-out even smoother.
4. Ghost Ribbon Braids
- Best suited for: Long hair, fine, straight, or wavy textures
- Time to style: 10 minutes
- Supplies needed: 2 small hair ties, white grosgrain ribbon, ghost barrettes
- Split the hair into two even sections along the nape of the neck.
- Knot a white ribbon onto one strand and weave it as one of the three sections in a classic braid.
- Secure the tail with an elastic and slide a felt ghost clip at the base of each braid.
PARENT TIP
If detangling knots is the part that causes morning tears in your house, our guide on gentle hair care routines walks through pain-free comb-through methods.
5. Monster Eyeball Space Buns
- Best suited for: Medium to long textured hair
- Time to style: 8 minutes
- Supplies needed: 2 hair elastics, 2 plastic or felt eyeball clips
- Part hair cleanly down the center and sweep both sides into high pigtails near the crown.
- Wrap the strands around each base into full buns, pinning lightly if needed.
- Clip an eyeball accessory directly into the front center of each bun facing forward.
PARENT TIP
Go with alligator-style hair clips over glued accessories, so you can pop them off instantly at naptime without pulling a single hair.
6. Witch’s Cauldron French Braid
- Best suited for: Long hair that holds structure
- Time to style: 12 minutes
- Supplies needed: 1 elastic band, washable purple or lime green hair chalk
- Start a raised Dutch or simple French braid starting at the forehead and moving toward the nape.
- Braid securely through the lengths and fasten the end with an elastic band.
- Swipe streaks of purple or green temporary chalk along the raised ridges of the braid.
PARENT TIP
This one holds best on hair with a little grip already in it. Slightly damp hair or second-day hair keeps flyaways neatly locked inside the weave.
7. Skeleton Bone Half-Up
- Best suited for: All lengths past the ears, straight, wavy, or curly
- Time to style: 5 minutes
- Supplies needed: 1 small elastic, plastic skeleton hand or bone barrettes
- Section off the top crown area of hair from the temples back.
- Secure that gathered crown section into a neat mini ponytail.
- Slide one or two bone barrettes directly over the elastic to conceal it.
PARENT TIP
Honestly, this is the ultimate zero-hassle style for chaotic mornings. It keeps hair out of their eyes all day without a single braid involved.
8. Bat-Wing Side Ponytail
- Best suited for: Toddlers and preschoolers with short to medium fine hair
- Time to style: 6 minutes
- Supplies needed: 1 soft fabric scrunchie, 2 small black felt bat-wing cutouts
- Gather all hair over to your child’s favorite side, down near the base of the ear.
- Wrap a soft fabric elastic around the base twice to secure the ponytail.
- Fasten the felt bat wings directly behind the elastic so they flare out horizontally.
PARENT TIP
Skip the thin rubber bands on toddler baby hair. A soft, fabric-covered band holds just as well and won’t cause breakage or tears coming off.
9. Vampire Slick-Back
- Best suited for: Short hairstyles on boys or girls
- Time to style: 4 minutes
- Supplies needed: Fine-tooth comb, dime-sized amount of water-based styling pomade
- Dampen hair slightly with a water spray bottle.
- Rub a small dab of gentle pomade between warm palms and work it evenly from root to tip.
- Comb a crisp side part, then sweep the sides and top neatly backward.
PARENT TIP
Stick to water-soluble pomades rather than heavy oil waxes, that way it rinses out completely in one quick evening bath.
10. Sparkly Cobweb Parting
- Best suited for: Straight, wavy, or lightly coiled hair of any length
- Time to style: 6 minutes
- Supplies needed: Tail comb, water-based hair glitter gel
- Use the tip of a comb to trace a distinct zig-zag line down the center of the scalp.
- Smooth hair down on both sides into loose locks or simple low ponytails.
- Dab a line of safe cosmetic glitter gel directly along the zig-zag path to highlight the web pattern.
PARENT TIP
Reach for a suspended glitter gel instead of dry loose craft glitter. It stays put on the hair instead of dusting over car seats and furniture for weeks.
11. Frankenstein Bolts Updo
- Best suited for: Short crops, curls, or naturally textured cuts
- Time to style: 5 minutes
- Supplies needed: Light styling paste, 2 foam bolt clips
- Tousle the crown hair upward using damp fingers and a touch of light paste to create an electrified texture.
- Smooth the sides of the hair flat above the ears.
- Fasten one lightweight foam bolt clip just above each ear.
PARENT TIP
This style basically celebrates natural bedhead or curls, so embrace the volume instead of brushing it smooth.
12. Braided Cat Ears
- Best suited for: Medium to long hair, browse our hair length breakdown if you’re not sure yours is long enough yet
- Time to style: 10 minutes
- Supplies needed: 2 small clear elastics, 4 bobby pins
- Take a small one-inch section of hair on each side of the top forehead and plait into two small braids.
- Fold each braid forward and upward into a triangular loop to mimic pointed cat ears.
- Pin each loop securely flat at the root using crisscrossed bobby pins.
PARENT TIP
Insert bobby pins with the wavy side facing down toward the scalp. It creates way more grip to keep the loops standing upright all day.
13. Candy Corn Triple Braids
- Best suited for: Any hair length that can be braided into tails
- Time to style: 9 minutes
- Supplies needed: Yellow, orange, and white soft hair elastics
- Braid hair into two classic three-strand braids down to the tips.
- Place a yellow band near the upper mid-shaft, an orange band further down, and a white band at the tip.
- Gently fan out the braid segments between the bands to create an ombre effect.
PARENT TIP
Don’t loop the tiny elastics four or five times. Two firm loops give plenty of hold without snapping those fragile little hair shafts on removal.
| Hairstyle | Best Hair Fit | Prep Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Spider Buns | Chin-length + | 8 Mins |
| 2. Mummy Pigtails | Shoulder-length + | 10 Mins |
| 3. Pumpkin Top Knot | All textures / thick | 7 Mins |
| 4. Ghost Ribbon Braids | Long hair | 10 Mins |
| 5. Monster Eyeball Buns | Past ears / curls | 8 Mins |
| 6. Witch’s French Braid | Medium to long | 12 Mins |
| 7. Skeleton Bone Half-Up | All lengths past ears | 5 Mins |
| 8. Bat-Wing Side Pony | Toddlers / fine hair | 6 Mins |
| 9. Vampire Slick-Back | Short hair | 4 Mins |
| 10. Cobweb Parting | Straight to wavy | 6 Mins |
| 11. Frankenstein Updo | Short, natural curls | 5 Mins |
| 12. Braided Cat Ears | Medium to long | 10 Mins |
| 13. Candy Corn Braids | Any braiding length | 9 Mins |
Helpful Parent FAQs
How do I easily remove glitter and temporary color spray at bath time?
Work a small dollop of regular conditioner or coconut oil through completely dry hair before your child gets in the tub. The oil base dissolves temporary waxes and glitter binders almost immediately, so everything rinses away with a mild shampoo instead of needing a vigorous scrub.
Are temporary hair sprays and chalks safe for toddlers?
Most kid-labeled temporary hair colors are non-toxic, but toddlers touch their hair constantly and rub their eyes without thinking twice. For kids under three, I’d lean on felt accessories, ribbons, and pipe-cleaner crafts instead of sprays, or at minimum do a small skin test behind the ear 24 hours before Halloween.
What’s the easiest style if we only have three minutes before leaving?
The Skeleton Bone Half-Up or the Vampire Slick-Back. Both need zero braiding skills, dry instantly, and only need one accessory or a dime-sized amount of water-based paste to look totally intentional.
At the end of the day, your child won’t care whether their braid was red-carpet straight or the spider legs wobbled a bit during recess. They’ll remember the costume, the candy, and the excitement of stepping out the door feeling festive. Pick whichever style fits your child’s patience level, keep it loose and comfortable, and just enjoy the morning.