Help parents help kids get the most out of play. Give them some tips. Parents want detailed instructions and text for navigation.
Preschoolers are incredibly intuitive about icons for navigation.
Give users both, seamlessly. They are just as engaged by an animation they control as they are by a Shockwave game, and they have no tolerance for a game that doesn't work. Provide activities that could be applied in different ways to a wide range of ages. Speak directly to your target audience, but don't exclude those whom you know will visit as well. Surprise, but don't disappoint.