Dinovember

Lore & Background

Susan and Refe Tuman launched Dinovember at their home in Kansas City, Missouri. Initially aimed at entertaining their young child who continually interrupted their night rest, Susan arranged dinosaur toys that attracted the attention of both their young and older children. The Tumas wrote an essay about their Dinovember project on Medium in 2013, bringing widespread popularity that circulated the event amongst other parents.

According to Dinovember practices, dinosaurs awaken to eat leftover Halloween food on November 1 before alterations in Christmas decorations put them back to sleep on the final day of November. The Tumas released 'What the Dinosaurs Did Last Night' as a book publication in 2014, drawing inspiration from their Dinovember endeavors.

Dinovember maintains a devoted group of followers. As of November 2023, the Tumas maintain over 200,000 Facebook followers who track their dinosaur-themed artistic work. Different educational institutions and cultural centers across the globe have adopted the Dinovember concept, including the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.

Reader's Guide

Dinovember represents a grassroots, non-commercial family observance that gained widespread popularity through social media and word-of-mouth. Its significance lies in how a simple, playful idea—arranging toy dinosaurs nightly—resonated with families worldwide, leading to adoption by educational institutions and cultural centers such as the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. The observance's longevity is evidenced by the Tumas' over 200,000 Facebook followers as of November 2023 and the publication of a book in 2014. Dinovember's legacy includes inspiring families and institutions globally to engage in creative, dinosaur-themed activities each November, while remaining free from commercial interests. The observance demonstrates how a personal family tradition can evolve into a shared cultural phenomenon without corporate backing, relying instead on community participation and online sharing.

Did You Know?

• Dinovember was invented in 2012 by Susan and Refe Tuman in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The Tumas wrote an essay about Dinovember on Medium in 2013, which brought widespread popularity.
• As of November 2023, the Tumas maintain over 200,000 Facebook followers.
• The Royal Saskatchewan Museum is one institution that integrates Dinovember-related activities into its programming.