What's going on here? The Once Upon A Website competitions will get young minds thinking creatively about objects in the Tullie House collections. Courtesy Tullie House Museum and Arts Service

A website competition and days at the museum have been combined to encourage young visitors to engage creatively with curious objects in a museum’s collection.

Award-winning Tullie House is opening its doors for a story-writing drop-in in their Community Rooms on August 15 when objects chosen to act as inspiration for a children’s web-based story competition will be able to be examined close up.

Originally set up last year to go with a temporary exhibition, it was decided that the museum's children's storywriting website should become a permanent feature because it offered a way of raising awareness about the museum and its collections for a new young audience.

A Saxon sword but what, or who, is it really? Answers in the shape of a story can be submitted on line. Courtesy Tullie House Museum and Arts Service

The theme of the current competition is Transformations. The chosen objects can already be explored on the museum’s Once Upon A Website web pages where competition information can also be found. It is hoped that new competitions will be run a few times each year.

A 19th century silk and sequin fan, dragonfly laval skin, a Saxon sword and a wedding photograph from 1914 feature in the online competition. The range of objects is intended not only to inspire but also to reflect and educate about the way the main museum collections are organised.

The categories are Arts, Archaeology, Natural History and Social History. Helpful information about the objects and some ideas to help young writers get going are also presented next to each object.

The theme of the current competition is Transformations. © Tullie House Museum

Collections Up Front Officer, Ben White said: “We hope the website will allow young people to look at and use museum collections in a way that will inspire fun and creativity.”

The museum, which won silver in this year’s Enjoy England Award for Excellence, hopes to have new objects on show on the website for subsequent competitions every six to eight months.

“It’s about looking at collections in a new way as opposed to the museum telling the story," said Catherine Roberts, the museum’s Marketing and Development Manager. "Also, we’re trying to choose some really interesting and exciting objects that children can get into.”

Beatrix Potter would have said it was Timmy Tiptoes perhaps. For Daniel he is 'Peter' and Karina thinks he's 'Nuts'. Check out stories already submitted on the Once Upon A Website story pages. Courtesy Tullie House Museum and Arts Service

“It’s getting our collections out there,” said Catherine. “Most are behind the scenes. This is getting them into the public domain.”

After the summer holidays, the museum’s Border Galleries will be open between 1 and 3 pm for two more story writing drop-ins on September 14 and October 12 before the competition closes on October 31.

The workshops are open to children aged eight to 13. Once there, children can not only have a go at story writing activities but also go on a hunt for the objects on the website. Places for these events can be booked on 01228 618718.

There will be two prizes of £25 to spend on books, toys or games for winning entries to the current competition from children eight and under and nine and above. Judging takes place in early November 2008.