In March 2026, Oregon became the fourth state in the U.S. to strengthen play-based learning through legislation. Sponsored by Senator Lew Frederick, SB 1596 directs the State Board of Education to allow play-based learning as instructional time for elementary students.
Only New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Connecticut have passed similar laws that recognize play-based learning as an essential tool in a child’s early educational experiences.
Soobin Oh, a member of the executive team at Teaching Preschool Partners, said that SB 1596 is an early mile marker in an ongoing journey for Oregon to transform elementary education. “Oregon must continue moving away from an outdated model of education toward one that reflects both how students learn and what they need to thrive. In 2026, we are laying the groundwork for a more effective, engaging, and advanced education system in the 22nd century.”
Angela Vargas, a career educator from Hillsboro, submitted written testimony to support the legislation. “When we trust children’s curiosity and give them room to learn through play, they show us brilliance we would never see through worksheets or compliance-based instruction. This bill—SB 1596—protects that brilliance.”
Oh added, “We aren’t talking about play for its own sake. We’re helping strengthen instructional practices grounded in the science of learning, a body of research that shows that students learn best when they are active rather than passive, when learning is social, and when it connects to their interests and lived experiences.”
Play-Based Learning Engages Students
Across Oregon, schools and educators are increasingly dissatisfied with educational approaches that stem from an earlier era in American history. Educators see rising behavioral challenges, student disengagement, and growing misalignment between classroom practice and the science of learning. Too often, students are expected to comply and passively receive information, conditions that often lead to frustration, disconnection, and, at times, explosive behaviors. Educators know instruction needs to evolve in ways that support how children actually learn, but they are often not given viable alternatives.
Maggie Staley, the principal of Rogue Primary School in Central Point, Oregon, supported SB 1596. “At Rogue Primary, our entire school is built on a foundation of guided play, a research-based pedagogy that supports academic standards through joyful, hands-on, and meaningful experiences. This approach does not replace rigorous learning—it enhances it. Through purposeful play, our students explore math concepts, deepen their understanding of literacy, collaborate to solve problems, and develop the executive functioning and social-emotional skills they need for long-term success. We are aligned with the same standards as every other public school—but our path to those outcomes is grounded in engagement, agency, and active learning.”
Staley continued, “It’s not just our students who are thriving. The shift to play-based pedagogy has brought renewed purpose and joy to my educators. Teachers are energized. They feel trusted, creative, and deeply connected to their students. In a time when educator burnout is at an all-time high, this matters. Our staff has reported increased collaboration, stronger student relationships, and a deeper sense of professional fulfillment.”
While SB 1596 does not mandate change or attach funding, it creates an invitation to reimagine instruction, assessment, partnerships, and the trajectory of learning for every child in the state.
“Oregon does not yet have the statewide capacity to implement this work at scale,” Oh said. “What this bill does is create the conditions for an advanced, play-based elementary system that values and measures critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving in an ever-changing and technologically advanced society.”
District Relationships
Teaching Preschool Partners has longstanding relationships with school districts leading the way in these practices in Oregon, notably North Clackamas, Beaverton, Central Point and Parkrose. These are the districts willing to rethink practice, take informed risks, and advance the field for their peers, families, and children.
Teaching Preschool Partners works with educators every day who understand what’s possible through playful learning. Students are thinking, moving, collaborating, and creating experiences that translate to real skills and knowledge. SB 1596 allows schools to strengthen these practices.
“Playful learning is rigorous instruction,” Oh said. “It connects directly to standards and supports the development of core academic knowledge. It does not require new curriculum adoption, but it does require adapting how existing curricula are delivered, along with sustained, high-quality professional learning.”
Teaching Preschool Partners has been working alongside educators to align instruction with the science of learning through playful, inquiry-based approaches since 2014. This work is most effective when educators help shape their classroom practices and when local leadership is engaged to sustain the evolution of their schools to meet the standards of playful, rigorous instruction.
“We cannot underestimate the power of creativity and play in our schools,” Oh said. “When we do this well, our children become problem solvers and they live in a world filled with ideas, inspiration, and possibilities. We co-design with schools and districts, and we see educators advancing this work because they understand why it’s effective. This gives me hope, because every day, I know I’m witnessing the future of education right here in Oregon.”
