2.5 year old throwing things

[beingmommy]

My DS has always loved to throw his toys. When he was little it was fine and even now, most of the time my DH and I do not mind. We know to stay clear and our DS knows to throw things at the floor or on the futon/bed and not at people. We figured the throwing was part of him exploring the toys and didn't want to curtail that.

BUT lately, when we are out at playgroups and other kid friendly meetings, he has started throwing toys with nary a care as to whether there are other kids or babies around him. He's NOT throwing them AT kids specifically but he doesn't seem to realize that if he throws them off into the room they could still hit people. So far there have been no accidents but really, it's only a matter of time.

BUT no discussions about "throwing toys low" or "keeping toys in his hands" or whatever are working. PLUS today he started throwing toys at a print on our wall that has a glass frame. NOT A GOOD IDEA.

I asked him to please throw his toy at the floor but he just would not listen. He was seriously so caught up in it, laughing hysterically and running around that it was like he could not even hear me. After I asked him again to please "keep his toy off of the picture" I got really frustrated and put him on the other side of a baby gate for like 30 seconds telling him that if he couldn't stop throwing his toys in the livingroom that he needed to not be in the livingroom. It was really just so I could collect myself but I feel bad about it. Was that like a time-out? I didn't mean it to be. I just needed him to stop throwing the toys.

Anyway, I need help with:

1) how to stop him throwing toys around other children
2) how to deal with him not listening about throwing toys at fragile objects in the house

Is th only solution to teach him not to throw toys at all?

[tbone_kneegrabber]

We let ds throw things. He can throw balls, pillows, stuff toys, scarves, various other "soft" things. If he throws something that he shouldn't throw (a wooden block, legos, etc) we tell him he can't throw x because someone could get hurt/something could get broken, but he can throw balls, pillows et al. Usually we tell him he can't throw x and then we ask "what can you throw?" If he throws the "inappropiate" thing again, he loses it. Sometimes that means it goes on top of the book shelf, sometimes I just put it away (today he wanted to throw a wooden egg, I took it from him and put it back in his play kitchen).

I think the logical consquence of throwing things at the picture, is not being in the room with the picture. Even if it is a "time out" if he can't be "trusted" to be in that room, he can't be in that room.