Before the elves take over the shelves in December while children are sleeping, toy dinosaurs play with food, make messes and find themselves in silly scenarios. It sparks joy and whimsy when children wake up to see their dinosaurs seemingly come to life overnight.
In 2012, authors Refe and Susan Tuma created Dinovember as a way to prolong childhood magic because, as they wrote on their website, “in the age of iPads and Netflix, we don’t want our kids to lose their sense of wonder and imagination.”
The concept of Dinovember is very similar to the Elf on the Shelf Christmas trend. Instead of elves creating mischief around the house, however, toy dinosaurs run amok, stealing snacks from the cupboard and making messes out of other household objects.
The dinosaurs enjoyed frolicking in a giant pile of leaves or a friendly game of Battleship.
Although many Dinovember antics take place in homes, several public places join in on the fun. In 2022, the Albany Public Library hosted a Dinovember event and invited the public to come and read dinosaur books, play with toy dinosaurs and make dinosaur themed artwork.
It may seem daunting for busy parents to add another thing onto their plates. However, setting up different dinosaur scenes for their children each night can be easy and budget friendly by using things already found in the house.
For example, the toy dinosaurs could be found playing with games or other toys children already have or could be found folding laundry. Dinovember is not meant to be another source of stress for parents. It is meant to foster and support children’s sense of creativity, wonder and imagination.
There have been many reports pointing to children losing their sense of imagination and creativity mainly due to increased levels of technology use. With parents introducing Dinovember into their children’s lives, it can encourage their imaginations and create a little more magic.
It’s hard to predict what the dinosaurs of Dinovember will do next. Perhaps they will take a bath in a sink full of marshmallows or maybe they will paint a picture of their dinosaur friends. Whatever the dinosaurs get up to, children will be able to bask in childhood magic and wonder.
