Old Elementary: LEGO® Clikits – colourful icons

Remember LEGO® Clikits? Well if it passed you by you weren't the only one as it's not a theme that dominates 'vintage' collections. Clikits launched in 2003 and generated in excess of 90 sets before retiring in 2006. It was primarily aimed at girls, with lots of accessories like hair clips, combs, pencil cases, notelets, decorative containers and all the other paraphernalia a young girl apparently needed.  

For this article, I couldn't resist examining the complex world of Clikits colours. While we have no official LEGO colour charts from this time, we used the work of Ryan Howerter and their fantastic Colorstream resource to create this overview.

Note: In a departure from our usual naming convention for colours, in this article we use the TLG official Colour ID and Name, followed by the more well-known BrickLink Name in brackets. The absence of a name in brackets means that it has not been distinguished by BrickLink.

LEGO® Clikits advertised in a UK catalogue. ©2003 The LEGO Group, courtesy Brickset.com

In the early 2000s, the LEGO Group were still very much open to the introduction of new colours, despite the associated expense. When Clikits arrived in 2003 it brought a host of new hues, especially transparent ones. In fact, in the three years that the Clikits theme was produced there were at least 19 colours that could be considered Clikits colours.

Colours exclusive to LEGO® Clikits

There are eight colours with a LEGO Colour ID that were only used in the Clikits theme. Unless otherwise stated, these colours were used between 2003 and 2006.

© ryanhowerter.net

1. 190 Fire Yellow is very similar to Bright Yellow but slightly brighter and used around 2004, exclusively in Clikits.
2. 229 Transparent Light Bluish Green (Trans- Aqua)
3. 230 Transparent Bright Purple (Trans-Pink)
4. 231 Transparent Flame Yellowish Orange (Trans Light Orange)
5. 234 Transparent Fire Yellow
6. 285 Transparent Light Green (Trans Light Green)
7. 293 Transparent Light Royal Blue. Only used in 2005 in Clikits and almost identical to 143 Transparent Fluorescent Blue.
8. 295 Flamingo Pink was only used in 2006 in three Clikits sets. Suitably, it was used for the flamingo element you can spot in the first image in this article.

© ryanhowerter.net

In addition, the two colours above are Metallic Pink, seen in Clikits set 7555 Glitter & Sparkle Beauty Set, and Clikits Pearl White/ Pearlescent Light Pink which was used in 2006 for Clikits set 7545 Pink & Pearls Jewels 'n' More. Oddly, the Metallic colours (Metallic Pink and a Metallic Silver) are not found in every 7555 set; perhaps they were initially used as a test, and included until they ran out?

Nearly exclusive LEGO® Clikits colours, but not quite

There are a few other colours that appeared in the Clikits line between 2003 and 2006 that did not remain exclusive to the theme. These colours had another random appearance within another theme or element, but are mainly considered Clikits colours.

© ryanhowerter.net

1. 218 Reddish Lilac (Clikits Lavender).  Used for Clikits icons in 2005 and also for the moulded torso of the LEGO® Belville queen in 7582 Royal Summer Palace released in 2007.
2. 236 Transparent Bright Reddish Lilac (Trans Medium Purple). This colour was used almost exclusively in Clikits from 2003-2006. The exceptions are an X-Pod case from 2005, and rather randomly, a LEGO® Friends upscaled mug from 2016/17.
3. 284 Transparent Reddish Lilac (Trans Light Purple). Another seldom-used Clikits colour, used from 2005-2006. It was also used in LEGO® Star Wars 7261 Clone Turbo Tank released in 2005 as the light-up lightsaber blade held by Mace Windu.

Other retired colours used by LEGO® Clikits

Gone, but not forgotten: this selection of colours were used by other themes as well as Clikits, but were retired during or not long after the Clikits theme itself ended. Many colours were retired at this time due to the near-collapse of the LEGO Group in the early 2000s, and the belated recognition that one reason was the high cost associated with having so many colours in the palette.

© ryanhowerter.net

1. 3 Light Yellow (Light Yellow). This colour was introduced in 1994 with Belville and LEGO® DUPLO®. It was largely replaced by 226 Cool Yellow around 2004, but it was still used occasionally until around 2005.
2. 6 Light Green (Light Green) . Introduced in 1992 with LEGO® Paradisa and Duplo, this colour was rare outside of girls' themes, such as Belville and LEGO® Scala. It was last used in 2005.
3. 118 Light Bluish Green (Aqua). This colour was introduced in 1998 in Scala and was also used frequently in Belville and Clikits, but not much else. Retired in 2006.
4. 157 Transparent Fluorescent Yellow (Trans-Neon Yellow). Used from 2001-2005, in a very limited selection of parts. Clikits used this colour occasionally.
5. 227 Transparent Bright Yellowish Green (Trans-Light Bright Green). Introduced in Belville and Clikits in 2003. Last used in 2006, this colour was never used outside those two themes and Duplo.
6. 232 Dove Blue (Sky Blue). This colour was introduced in 2003 with Clikits and Star Wars, but it's mostly known as a Belville colour (and the original Greedo's arms and legs). It was last used in a 2007 as part of a LURP element in 7666 Hoth Rebel Base.

Unknown Clikits colours

The reason I said at least nineteen colours arrived around the time of Clikits is that there are further Clikits elements that are more difficult to give a specific LEGO Colour ID.  I'm mainly referring to what are known as the Clikits 'accents' and jelly string elements, although there are more elements that may fall into this section. Clikits accents are a variety of thin plastic, soft material or rubbery flexible elements that can be placed in between the icons and their attachment to add glamour and finesse!

In theory, there are some Clikits accents that match LEGO Colour IDs fairly closely, but there are others that seem to be a completely different colour. There isn't much colour information around for these elements, and in general anything that has been found has simply been assigned "Colour 0".

However, there are two  Clikits accent colours that have a known LEGO Colour ID.

1.  301 Trans Bright Purple w/ Glitter  
2. 303 Trans Br Reddish Lilac w/ Glitter

LEGO® Clikits Transparent Fluorescent Light Blue?

And finally, just a point to note (thanks to Ryan Howerter once more), Clikits elements were all contracted out to be made at a Chinese factory, long before LEGO opened its own Jiaxing factory in 2016. The factory produced an unusual version of 143 Transparent Fluorescent Blue which looks closer to 42 Transparent Light Blue (Trans-Light Blue).

The 2x2 brick on the left is regular 143 Transparent Fluorescent Blue, which glows under UV light, while the 2x4 brick on the right is 42 Transparent Light Blue which does not normally glow under UV light. The central Clikits element is 143 Transparent Fluorescent Blue from the Chinese factory; it has a shade close to 42 but glows under UV light.

So while Clikits are certainly intriguing in terms of their colours, are they compatible with LEGO System and useful elements for building with? That question will have to wait for another time.

Editors: Chris Baginski and Tim Johnson

READ MORE: All the new parts – mostly minifigures! – in LEGO® Ideas 21337 Table Football

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