The Science Museum in London is showing a six-month interactive exhibition —Wallace & Gromit present A World of Cracking Ideas — from 28 March to 1 November.

The £2m family-oriented display will be housed inside a recreation of 62 West Wallaby Street — home to the famous animation characters.

Each room will help visitors explore the thinking processes behind innovative ideas and show them how to protect intellectual property through patents, trademarks, designs and copyright.

Objects from the museum’s collections will be complemented by some of the cracking contraptions featured in the show, such as the Tellyscope II, the Piella Propellor and the Blend-o-Matic.

Visitors can also jot down details of their inventions at the Ideas Stations located in each room.

Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit, said: “Inventiveness has always been central to Wallace’s character and I have sketch books full of Wallace’s eccentric inventions that have never made it to the screen. It is fantastic that Wallace and Gromit can excite young children about innovation in this way.”

The exhibit is a joint venture between the museum, Wallace & Gromit creator Aardman Animation and the Intellectual Property Office, which is funding the display.

Judith Whitaker, head of commercial development at the museum, said: “We care for over 15,000 objects in our collections, including world-famous inventions such as Stephenson’s Rocket and Babbage’s Difference Engine, as well as countless everyday items from televisions to light-bulbs that were once just the brainchild of an innovative mind.

The museum provides the perfect context for this exhibition as a place which celebrates innovation and encourages learning and creative thinking amongst visitors of all ages.”