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]
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]
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]