Dinovember

Toy dinosaurs play the game Hungry Hungry Hippos (Quebec, Canada)
dinos in Toronto turn crinkle potato chips into pringles

Dinovember is a month-long observance in November, invented by Susan and Refe Tuma in 2012.[1][2] During Dinovember, toy dinosaurs 'come to life' at night and get up to mischief, and then are discovered by the kids of the household in the morning, frozen in place.[2] Dinovember has been compared to Elf on a Shelf, but has not been commercialized.

Dinovember has a small but dedicated following. As of November 2023,[3] more than 200,000 people follow the antics of the Tuma dinosaurs via their Facebook page. A smaller but unknown number of other households around the world also participate via their own toy dinosaurs.[3]

Origins

toy dinosaurs make a wikipedia page for Dinovember that would not pass the wikipedia editing standards

Susan and Refe Tuma, an American couple from Kansas City, Missouri, began Dinovember in 2012.[4][5] Their youngest child often did not sleep through the night, so Susan began setting up scenes with their children's toy dinosaurs to pass the time at night.[4][5] Their older children reacted positively, spurring the two to continue.[4][5]

The following year, the project went viral after the couple wrote a Medium essay on the topic.[6] Following the online support, the couple encouraged other parents to adopt the tradition.[6]

Dinovember in popular culture

Refe and Susan Tuma wrote a book about Dinovember, called What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night,[7] which was released in 2014.[4]

The idea has been picked up around the world by venues that cater to kids,[8][9] including public libraries,[10][11] teachers,[12] and museums,[13] such as the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.[14]

References

  1. ^ "DINOVEMBER". Refe & Susan Tuma. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  2. ^ a b "The Month When My Kids' Plastic Dinosaurs Come To Life". HuffPost. 2013-11-14. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  3. ^ a b "dinovember Facebook". www.facebook.com/dinovember/. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  4. ^ a b c d Melendrez, Jordan (2014-10-22). "What did the dinosaurs do last night? This family knows all too well". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  5. ^ a b c Kaufmann, Gina (November 18, 2014). "Kansas City Parents At Center Of Viral 'Dinovember'". KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  6. ^ a b Duerson, Meena Hart (2013-11-14). "Parents bring their children's toys to life for 'Dinovember'". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  7. ^ "What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night: A Very Messy Adventure|Paperback". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  8. ^ Marling, Sierra (2023-10-30). "See life-size dinos, movies, and more this DiNovember". Richmond Register. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  9. ^ "Dinovember at the Denver public library". Denver Library. November 2023.
  10. ^ "Dinovember at the Library!". ALSC Blog. 2017-12-06. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  11. ^ Marling, Sierra (2022-11-15). "Madison County Public Library to cap DiNovember event with community celebration". Richmond Register. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  12. ^ "Teach starter / Dinovember".
  13. ^ Sjoblom, Heather (2023-11-16). "Fort St. John North Peace Museum update: Dinovember is back, and Christmas Tea around corner!". Energeticcity.ca. Retrieved 2023-12-17.
  14. ^ "Dinovember In Full Swing At The Royal Saskatchewan Museum". Government of Saskatchewan. Retrieved 2023-12-17.