There is fun for the whole family at the Barbara M. Tufts, Cooperative Preschool’s Annual May Fair. The fair, to be held Sunday, May 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is the preschool’s largest fundraiser.

The Barbara M. Tufts Cooperative Preschool (Co-op) in East Greenwich is run out of the United Methodist Church at no cost to the co-op. The preschool itself is not religiously affiliated but is allowed to use the space rent-free as the church’s “mission to the community” helping to educate future generations.

Kelly Smith, whose daughter is in her first year at the co-op, is acting as the publicity director for this year’s May Fair. She said what really sets the preschool apart from the rest is how family-oriented it is. Parents are very involved with the school and expected to work closely with the teachers and staff of the preschool.

“I have had four kids in three different preschools and they were all great,” Smith said. “The difference here is that you aren’t just dropping off and picking up your child. I feel just as much a part of this school as the students. You get to really know the families. It’s a tight-knit community.”

Parents are expected to volunteer in the classroom at least once a month and are required to volunteer for the May Fair.

Heather Donoyan, one of the teachers at the co-op, said that although parents a required to volunteer at the May Fair they more often than not go “above and beyond.”

On the day of the fair there is live music, raffles, an obstacle course, a used toy and plant sale, games and activities for the children and live ponies and rabbits.

The May Fair features a silent auction with large donated items such as a 90-minute private tour of Narragansett Bay on the Schooner Aurora for upwards of 68 guests, Red Sox tickets, and Disney Park Hopper passes. Alongside the larger items there are also baskets filled with local business merchandise and gift cards. There is popcorn and cotton candy and the event is catered for free by Texas Roadhouse.

This year, the 34th year, the theme is “Under the Sea.”

Annually, the May Fair raises between $18,000 and $20,000 for the co-op, with all of the proceeds going towards student scholarships, school supplies and fieldtrips.

As a non-profit, no student is turned away due to financial concerns; rather, tuition is on a sliding scale based on a family’s income. The fundraiser helps to provide the scholarships that allow students from lower income families attend.

Smith said, “The May Fair is a good time all around for kids and their parents.”

The “Under the Sea” May Fair will be on Sunday, May 1, held rain or shine from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Academy Field and Swift Gym, 11 Peirce Street, East Greenwich.