Try Again! Every Time You Lose
Kids SEL Song About Resilience · Ages 4–10
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Resilience isn't built in one big talk. It's built in hundreds of small moments — and a few catchy songs.
What this song is
"Try Again! Every Time You Lose" is a social emotional learning song about resilience — the skill of getting back up after something goes wrong. Instead of telling kids "don't be a sore loser," the song gives them a small, repeatable script: you lost, that's okay, take a breath, and try again. It's built around a chorus simple enough for a four-year-old to sing and honest enough that an older elementary kid won't roll their eyes at it.
The whole idea is that resilience isn't one big lesson. It's hundreds of tiny moments — a knocked-over block tower, a missed shot, a board game loss — and a song kids already know the words to can meet them right in those moments.
How kids use it
Play it after a loss, not during a meltdown. Many families and teachers find it works best as a calm-down soundtrack once the first wave of frustration has passed. Sing the chorus together, then put words to what actually happened: "You wanted to win, and you didn't this time. What could we try next?"
- Use it as a transition after a competitive game or activity
- Sing it before an activity kids find hard, so the words are already in their heads
- Pair it with a do-over — naming "try again" and then actually trying again
Why it works
Research in social-emotional learning tends to associate naming and normalizing setbacks with better emotional regulation over time. Hearing that everyone loses sometimes — and that losing isn't the same as being bad at something — can help kids separate a single outcome from their sense of self. Music adds another layer many teachers find useful: a catchy, repeated phrase is easier to recall in a stressful moment than a paragraph of advice. *(General educational guidance, not medical advice.)*
In the classroom and at home
- Classroom teachers — a reset for indoor recess games, math-fact challenges, or anything with winners and losers
- Counselors — a gentle opener for small-group lessons on grit and growth mindset
- Parents — a shared phrase for the after-school "I'm terrible at everything" spiral
- Coaches and camp staff — a team chant after a tough game
Suggested ages
Best for ages 4–10. Younger kids latch onto the chorus and the feeling; older elementary students can dig into the deeper message about effort, practice, and trying a new strategy.
Looking for more songs that build coping skills? Browse the full brain breaks and SEL collection or the complete video library.
Try these next
If this one landed, queue up I Can Handle Anxiety, Pause and Breathe, and I Am Enough.