LEGO 2004 / Explore Sets

The LEGO Explore theme was designed by the LEGO Group with collaboration with experts in child development creating sets designed for discovery using LEGO DUPLO elements to help parents understand the various development steps toddlers go through and what type of play would benefit this development. Explore was released in 2002 and introduced four universes each supporting a certain step in children’s development: Explore Being Me – Discovering who I am and what I can do, Explore Together – Learning to share and interact with others, Explore Imagination – Expressing my personality and creativity and Explore Logic – Understanding how things work.

2004 LEGO Sets

In 2004, LEGO underwent a major shakeup as it worked to recover from record losses in 2003. This year saw significant changes in product strategy, color design, and partnerships, all of which played a role in LEGO’s long-term turnaround. One of the most controversial changes was the replacement of several long-standing LEGO colors, including gray, dark gray, brown, and violet, with newer, more vibrant shades. This shift also included the introduction of light nougat, which became the standard skin tone for many licensed minifigures.