The board games, jumping ropes, bicycles, jacks and tether balls of yesterday are long gone, and in their place we have Wii, Nintendo DS, XBOX 360 and PlayStation.

For three weeks we have been watching for signs of children playing in the snow to no avail. Finally, we came to the realization that kids don’t play like they used to. They are engulfed in a world of virtual reality where they are free to come and go as they please without getting out of bed, off the couch or out of their pajamas.

It’s frightening to think that a generation ago, children went outside to play and things like snow days were cherished and enjoyed from the cold side of the threshold.

Yes, in spite of bitter cold, freezing hands and windburn on our faces, we tackled the hills, played on the ice, shoveled sidewalks and built masterpieces out of pure white snow. But ask a kid to go outside these days, and most likely he or she will decline. Video games are just more appealing to a generation raised by technology and babysat by the television.

So now as we look out our windows all we see is pristine snow around us. Nevermore trampled yards cluttered with snow angels, snow families, igloos and snow balls. Unless of course that lawn belongs to the SIMS or another virtual reality family.